The Last Two Demigods on Earth
by queen-of-rainbows
Summary: It's been a year since the defeat of Gaia- and life has gone on for the heroes of Olympus. But the reality of it is not what some of them had imagined. To remedy their children's misery- an unlikely duo decides that a little godly intervention wouldn't hurt. Or maybe it would. . . (Percico)
1. Prologue: Hades Gets Meddlesome

**A/N:** Hey guys! Welcome to the story! There isn't much I need to say about this chapter, so let's jump right into it. (Cover art by Viria)

 **Warnings:** None for this chapter

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There was a stillness in the air; a putrid, stale odor lingering in the dark alleyway, as a crepuscular figure made its way down the grimy pavement. Obsidian robes billowed behind them, which swiftly transformed into a jet black suit. It was his attempt to disguise himself, but little did the lord of the dead understand; a man wearing a suit in an abandoned New York alley was far more suspicious than a man wearing a robe. But gods would be gods.

He couldn't believe he'd requested this meeting at all. It wasn't in a gods nature to do what he was about to do. But he simply had to. His son; his foolish, stubborn son was all he had left. He'd spent millennia watching his children suffer and he would do it no longer. Least of all with Nico.

Hades never liked playing favorites with his children, but he found that he always did. Like almost all of the gods; the lord of the dead was prideful. If his children could prove themselves worthy of his affection, they would receive it. None had ever proved their worth more than his last living child. Nico had done many things that no other child of Hades ever dared to do.

The most obvious being that he made the Underworld his home. Mortals, even Hades' own children, are not permitted to enter the Underworld. Only a select few of those who have, ever returned to the land of the living. But at ten years old, Nico had fled to the Underworld and made its harsh landscape his home. He braved the world of the dead and he eventually conquered it. He was truly his father's son.

That alone wasn't enough to impress the immovable god of death, however. It took his pigheaded son standing up to him, defying him, and becoming a silent hero to gain the god's attention. Each step of the way, Hades found himself surprised by his boy's strength. Even the depths of Tartarus couldn't break him; a place that Hades himself refused to go. Indeed, none of his children deserved happiness more than Nico di Angelo.

A thought that had lead the god to this alley. It was his fear that his brother, Poseidon, would not approve of this meeting. After all, Hades' proposition would directly interfere with his precious Percy's life. The lord of the dead wasn't even sure if his new business partner would approve of his plan; but for his son, he was willing to take the chance.

Only a few minutes after the dark god's arrival, another figure sauntered down the vacant alley. This figure wore armor, Hades could hear it clacking and clanging as his conspirator made her way toward him.

"Uncle," the woman said, hidden by the dark veil of the night, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Come out from the shadows, my dear niece. We have an important matter to discuss," Hades insisted. The woman moved forward, the sound of her armor replaced by the soft sound of tennis shoes hitting the pavement. She now wore a simple white tee shirt and black slacks, her long black hair fell loosely around her shoulders.

"Is there a reason we couldn't have this important meeting somewhere a little more comfortable?" she asked, with disdain.

"The subject matter is a bit. . . sensitive," Hades admitted, "I'm not sure all the gods would approve of my ideas. But you, Athena. . . yes, you may just understand where I'm coming from." Athena raised her brow, trying to figure out where her creepy uncle was going with this conversation.

"Very well, you've piqued my interest. What is this sensitive subject you wish to speak to me about?" she asked, stepping closer to the god.

"Our children. More specifically, our favored children," he said, crossing his spindly fingers over one another. Athena seemed to understand immediately, just as her uncle had predicted.

Of course she understood. The most promising of her offspring had been intellectually stifled by a foolish relationship. One that was destined to fail, at that. The goddess had hoped that Annabeth wouldn't fall victim to teenage flights of fancy. . . but she was more emotionally compromised than her mother ever imagined her to be- which was odd considering her existence was the imaginings of Athena's very own mind.

From a very young age, her child prodigy became involved with boys. Not just any boys. First the son of Hermes- rash, ignorant, and worst of all, a hero. Then her daughter's mind was muffled again by the son of Poseidon- who just so happened to be all the same things as the foolish girl's former crush. She clearly had a type. But it stood to reason that she only liked this type of man because he posed a challenge for her. Children of Athena always look for challenges, they need to stimulate their minds and solve puzzles. There was nothing in the world more puzzling than an ignorant, emotional man.

Being romantically involved with a person such as Percy Jackson posed more than just an intellectual challenge. Heroes require attention. . . a lot of attention. If her daughter was to ever reach her full potential, she couldn't afford to grant her dimwitted boyfriend the sort of attention he needs. Athena knew Annabeth wouldn't be capable of giving that much to Percy Jackson. She knew this because she invented her daughter's mind. She knew exactly what it was and was not capable of.

What awaited Percy and Annabeth was misery and resentment. All of which would cloud her thoughts and stifle her talent. But what any of this had to do with the son of Hades, the goddess wasn't sure.

"What about them?" she asked, crossing her arms. Hades sighed.

"My son. . . he's come so far and done so much. He deserves to rest now. However, I fear he may never truly be free to rest until his heart is tamed. He's a romantic that way, silly boy," the lord of the dead admitted with a small grin. Nico's wild heart reminded the god so much of his dear Maria. He was truly happy with her, she saw something in him that his own wife didn't. To this day, he still couldn't be sure what it was, but she loved him for it- and that's all that mattered. The two children he sired with her were his pride and he loved them, as much as a god can love.

"I see. And what does that have to do with my daughter? If you're suggesting the two of them find romance, I must respectfully decline to have any part of that scheme. The last thing I need is for Annabeth to go from one high maintenance relationship to another," Athena chided. Hades chuckled.

"No, no. That would never work out. It's not Annabeth that my boy pines for," the god admitted, with a reluctant grin. He wasn't exactly a very big fan of Percy Jackson- the impudent demigod had once had the nerve to attack him in his own domain. However, if Nico saw something in him- he couldn't be so bad. He trusted his son's judgment.

"What exactly are you getting at, uncle?" Athena demanded, growing impatient. She had no interest in the romantic whims of demigods, but clearly her uncle had something in mind for her daughter, else they wouldn't be having this conversation.

"I have an idea. A way we can both get what we want for our children, in theory, anyway," Hades said quietly, hoping that Poseidon wasn't listening. "Of course, it may involve incurring the wrath of Poseidon." Athena raised her brow.

"That sounds unwise, uncle. However, I am willing to hear this plan of yours. Something tells me that if I refuse to help you with it, you'll do it anyway," she presumed. Her uncle gave her an unsettling smile.

"You know me too well, my dear niece."

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 **A/N:** That's it for this chapter. There will be updates every Wednesday. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review & favorite if you enjoyed it!


	2. Suburbia- Pt 1

**A/N:** Welcome to chapter two, you lovely demigods! Let's get to it!

 **Warnings:** minor language

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This was the third night in a row. The third night Annabeth had promised she'd be home, but had never showed. Percy couldn't say he was surprised at this point. They'd finally moved to New Rome and settled into their own place. It was mostly quiet, with the exception of a few unruly kids, who ran around the neighborhood, causing a ruckus every now and again. Percy didn't mind it at all. But Annabeth often said she had trouble concentrating with all the noise.

That wasn't the reason she was away though. It was Olympus. It was always Olympus. Ever since she'd been tasked with rebuilding the place, she'd been obsessed- granted she had to take a break from her obsession to handle that pesky prophecy of seven. Once that was over though, she was right back to it. Day and night, she'd be drawing out plans. Recently, she decided she needed to go back to New York so she could oversee the projects herself.

Of course, Percy protested. There was no reason she had to be there. She was only tasked with designing the place, not building it. But she was so proud of her work that she just had to be there to make sure everything was constructed exactly the way she'd imagined it.

It was so frustrating. The two of them had finally settled down. Percy had hopes that they could just be a normal couple now. But almost immediately, Annabeth ditched him.

It was only a few hours ago that Percy had spoken to his stubborn girlfriend via Iris message. He was almost beginning to think that she was avoiding him on purpose. Before she left for Manhattan, the two of them got into a pretty massive argument.

Annabeth was insisting she had to leave. Percy practically begged her to stay. He'd had a particular thought on his mind for weeks, but he couldn't bring himself to mention it to Annabeth. But he thought now was as good a time as any; maybe it would make her want to stay.

It wasn't nearly as romantic as he had imagined it, but he was desperate. So, as she was packing up her things, he asked her if she wanted to get married. She stared at him, mouth agape, eyes wide. Percy's heart was racing. He wanted nothing more than to just be a normal couple. To have a semi-normal life with someone he loved. That was his dream.

It wasn't Annabeth's dream. She'd gladly admit that she loved Percy and that she did want to be with him. But she had other aspirations too. Ones that would require her attention almost as much as Percy did. She had so many plans for her future that she couldn't be bothered to even think about committing herself to any one of them, not even Percy. It just wasn't in her nature. Sure, she could've handled the situation better, but she was a little too shocked when Percy's question hit her ears.

Instead of explain herself to him, she did possibly the most hurtful thing she could've done; she dismissed him. She told Percy that she didn't have time for this. She wasn't trying to break his heart, not at all. But being emotionally sensitive wasn't her strong suit, and break his heart she did.

He couldn't help but get defensive. After all the long nights she'd spent working, what gave her the right to say she didn't have time for him? The shouting got so loud that Percy noticed his neighbors turning on their lights, they must have woken them up. Eventually, Annabeth threw her hands up in the air, in pure frustration, picked up her bags and stormed out of the house.

Several days passed, neither of them willing to apologize. A part of Percy wanted to send her a message, if nothing else to make sure she made it to New York in one piece. But every time he thought about Annabeth, he remembered the hurtful things she said and couldn't face her.

Finally, he couldn't take the worry anymore and he sent her a message. They managed to talk it out. For whatever reason, Percy apologized first- even though he knew he hadn't actually done anything wrong. Annabeth finally relented and apologized as well. She explained herself, but it didn't exactly stave the aching in Percy's heart. He had always thought he meant more to her than her work. . . only now was he realizing he was competing with it. And that he was losing to it.

He sent her an Iris message every night, just to check in. The last three nights, Annabeth had told him that she'd be home the next morning. She'd have a new excuse every night for why she couldn't make it back. This morning would be the fourth, and Percy had given up hope. In fact, he wasn't looking forward to going back to eating awkward dinners together at the table; Annabeth still going over her plans or double-checking something in her head. He didn't miss trying to talk to her and seeing in her eyes that she was a million miles away from him. Eating alone was much less heart breaking.

He settled into bed, wondering if this was his life now. Surely things would get better. He'd just have to tough it out until then. He closed his eyes and was asleep within minutes.

 _Percy awoke surrounded by pure black water, swirling angrily around him. It was the Styx, he'd remember that numbing pain anywhere. He was 15 again, as he was the first time he took a dip in that abysmal river. Much like he did back then, he struggled to grip the shoreline and pull himself up out of the water._

 _Once he finally managed to claw his way onto the pitch black beach, his whole body was ablaze with adrenaline. He could feel his newfound invulnerability surging in his veins. However, when he looked at the landscape before him, it was altogether different from how he remembered it._

 _Instead of an army of dead soldiers, Percy found himself facing only his traveling companion; Nico di Angelo. The son of Hades stood about fifteen feet from Percy, wearing a look of absolute terror, as the entire Underworld began to rumble._

 _Nico began to yell, though Percy didn't hear any sound escape his throat. It seemed like he was screaming Percy's name, as he reached out for him. Percy felt a shadow descending upon him from above. He threw his head back to see what was creating it._

 _Too late, did he realize that a massive stalactite had fallen from the Underworld's cavernous ceiling. He knew that his invulnerability should protect him from severe injury, but the sight of the colossal wedge-shaped, obsidian only about a yard from his face filled his heart with fear._

 _He began to roll out of its path, but it was far too close. It hit him all the same, knocking him down onto his back. Percy expected the rock to lose its momentum and topple over onto its side; but instead, it came down upon him with such force that its sharp tip pierced the demigod's chest._

 _It was certainly a sight to behold; the invulnerable son of Poseidon, pinned to the ground by a twelve ton dagger, bleeding all over the black sand beneath him. It had punctured him straight through the heart. He couldn't believe how badly it hurt. . . you'd think after all the trouble he had gone through to get the curse of Achilles, that he wouldn't be susceptible to so much pain._

 _Within seconds, Nico was at his side. Percy still couldn't hear him, though he seemed to still be screaming. He was kneeling down beside Percy, his brown eyes brimming with tears. Percy gazed into those soulful coffee irises, trying to drown out the pain._

 _It wasn't working. In only a few seconds, he began to feel himself growing colder. The curse of Achilles didn't seem to be protecting him- he was dying. The black of the Underworld grew darker and darker, until all he could see was Nico's pallid face, tearfully calling out to him. Soon, that too faded into darkness._

Percy awoke with a start. _'What in the actual Hades was that about,'_ he thought, as he stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm his shaken nerves. He'd had bad dreams plenty of times. Most of the time, they were visions of things that were happening or had yet to happen. Those were the kinds of bad dreams he was used to. Normal "what the fuck did that mean?" nightmares were a little less common for him.

Before he could analyze his dream further, he realized that the ceiling he had been staring at wasn't his own. He jolted out of bed, still in his pajamas and ready for a fight. Immediately, he noted that he wasn't in his bedroom. Nor was he in his house.

He _was_ standing in a bedroom; but it was not at all familiar to the son of Poseidon. It had been decorated in shades of brown and red- not the cool, steely blue that he had painted his and Annabeth's bedroom.

He reached into the back pocket of his pajama pants and was relieved to discover that riptide was still resting peacefully where he had left it- still in pen form. He fished it out but kept it capped. He wasn't sure where he was or how he got there- but he didn't want to scare the homeowners unless he absolutely had to.

He glanced out the window. Outside, he saw a perfect picture of suburbia. Rows and rows of houses, mostly different in design but all immaculate. Each lawn was freshly cut and early morning sprinklers spritzed, creating rainbows of dew that twinkled in the yellow beams of sunlight. This wasn't New Rome. This wasn't even California. Percy's heart began to race with panic.

He ran out into the second floor hallway and bolted down the stairs. He had expected to find a Stepford-esqe family eating breakfast at the table, but he didn't. In fact, it seemed like the house was completely empty. He went around checking all the rooms, just to be sure.

As he thought, he found no one. It seemed to Percy like the house was lived in, if only because there was furniture in every room and food in the refrigerator. There were even clothes tucked away in the dressers and closets in the bedrooms. What the house seemed to lack, however, were any personal belongings; posters, photographs, tax forms, anything of the sort. If anyone did live here, they were the most impersonal, boring people on the planet.

Percy couldn't be bothered to care much about that though- this whole scenario wasn't smelling right to him. He could already feel the knot growing in his chest, the same one he got whenever he knew something bad was about to happen.

With the speed of Arion, he ran out of the house and into the street. Aside from the sprinklers sputtering away, the whole block was eerily quiet. Percy took a good look in every direction, still trying to glean where he was. There were street signs at the end of each block but they weren't especially helpful.

He took off down the street, still in his pajamas, hoping he'd run into a main road or an actual person he could talk to. The sun was at about ten o'clock, Percy noted. He was a little surprised he managed to sleep so late in the first place- let alone how he managed to do it while being teleported to some suburb in whatever creepy North Eastern town this was.

He felt silly, running down a suburban street at ten in the morning in his pajamas. And he had no shoes to top it all off. He must've looked completely insane. But, his hands were a little tied this time. Whoever brought him here didn't have the decency to at least give him his street clothes to wear.

He had run about five blocks before he noticed something that stopped him dead in his tracks; the house he'd come out of. There it was, just on his left. He knew it was the same one because he had left the front door wide open in his haste to get out. The same bright red front door, still open, revealing the very same impersonal living room he had come from.

That was impossible. . . he had been running in a straight line down the street. He hadn't turned or veered off track. There was no way he could have gone around in a circle. He looked around at the neighboring houses and was able to recognize some of them as ones he'd seen earlier. This was definitely the same suburb he'd come from.

So he tried a different direction. But after about five blocks, he found himself right back at the same house; it's bright crimson door mocking him.

Out of breath and in a panicked rage, Percy marched up to the front door of a neighboring house. He knocked as loudly as he could. No one answered. So he knocked again. Still no answer. Finally, his impatience and fear got the better of him and he kicked the door in. Immediately he realized he hadn't needed to kick it- the lock wasn't latched.

He searched the house, but found it to be just as empty as the one he'd woken up in. There were no family photos hanging on the walls in this house either. Nothing that would give you any idea who lived in the house.

Percy went to a few other houses on the block, each time finding that the doors were all unlocked and they were all completely empty. This entire neighborhood was completely abandoned. No one could get in and, perhaps more importantly; Percy wouldn't be leaving. At least, that's what he figured the god that trapped him here was banking on.

There was no other way to explain this outrageously ludicrous situation. It just had to be a god. And when Percy figured out which one it was, he'd have more than a few things to say to them.

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 **A/N:** Expect some of these chapters to be kind of short, guys. Some will be longer, depending on the content. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it!


	3. Suburbia- Pt 2

**A/N:** Welcome to chapter three, you lovely demigods! Thanks to all those who left a review on the last chapter! I really appreciate it! On to the next!

 **Warnings:** None for this chapter

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Gold met jet black iron, clashing together over and over, as their wielders jumped and dodged- slashing wildly at one another. Several campers, who had been catching up on their own training in the arena had stopped to watch the two master swordsmen cross blades. Their eyes whizzed back and forth from one boy to the other- mesmerized by their skill and power.

It wasn't everyday you got to see two children of the big three gods duke it out in a sword fight. The sight was truly something to behold. The son of Jupiter lunged forward with his golden sword, but the son of Hades twirled aside, his feet dancing across the sand with all the grace of Aphrodite, until he was behind his opponent. The flaxen haired demigod ducked down just as Nico lunged his sword over his head. Jason spun his leg around, knocking the son of Hades off his feet. Within seconds, Jason was hovering above him, his golden sword resting gently against the brunet's throat and his knee pinning his sword arm to the ground.

Applause erupted from the spectators, as Jason stood and offered a hand to help Nico up. The son of Hades took it, with a grin. Jason patted him on the back, his chest heaving as his lungs struggled to fill with air.

"Good fight," Jason said, flashing his one thousand watt smile at his sparring partner.

"Yeah, you too," Nico replied, dusting sand off of his black jeans.

A few of the campers came over to Jason to congratulate him on his victory, and Nico wasn't entirely surprised when none of them said anything to him. He was almost certain that they were all rooting for Jason to win the fight- what's more satisfying than a child of Zeus kicking a child of Hades into the dirt? It didn't bother him too much though, he always had a lot of fun training with Jason. He never cut any corners- he was never afraid to give it his all. It was one of the more honest exchanges Nico had ever had with anyone. Jason was a good person to go to for honesty- after all, Nico knew he could trust him, even with his darkest secret.

"So, do you want to sit with me and Pipes at the campfire tonight?" Jason asked, his brilliant blue eyes beaming with hope. Guilt rose in Nico's chest. Okay. . . so he wasn't _always_ honest with Jason. The truth was; he was sick of spending time with him and Piper. Their happy couple shtick was really starting to get old.

"Nah, sorry, I've got some other stuff to take care of. See you tomorrow though. And hey, it was nice training with you," Nico said, waving, as he began to walk back to his cabin. Jason said his goodbyes and went on his way.

Nico closed the door to his cabin, grateful to finally be alone. The whole room was dark, save for a little candle in the corner by Nico's bunk. He sat down on the edge of his bed, staring into the dancing flame, a hollow gleam in his eyes.

This week hadn't been easy on him. It all started when Will told him he was accepted at this fancy pre-med school in Boston. Well, that's not entirely true. It actually started a couple months back. Will had gotten really agitated, for reasons Nico hadn't understood at the time. He would snap at the son of Hades for no real reason. It got to the point where Nico went out of his way to avoid seeing his boyfriend.

They'd hang out from time to time, but it was almost always unpleasant. When Will came to him to discuss his plans, Nico thought it was really cool that Will wanted to be a doctor. It made sense, he was a remarkable healer. But then, Will dropped a bomb that Nico hadn't been expecting.

" _Are you still in love with Percy?" the son of Apollo asked, completely deadpan. Nico jolted back in surprise._

" _What?! No!" he insisted, defensively. Will sighed._

" _Yeah, I mean that was more of a rhetorical question. I know you are. And you know what, Nico? That's fine," Will relented. Nico was really sick of Will always assuming things about him, it was a nasty habit of his. And he was always so sure he was right, he would never even accept an argument._

" _I'm not in love with Percy, Will," Nico said firmly. It wasn't likely to make a difference, since Will had clearly already made up his mind, but Nico figured he'd give it a shot anyway._

" _You really are," his boyfriend insisted, almost sadly, "Your heart hasn't been in this relationship since the moment we started it. It took me a while to understand why. But I do now. And I'm honestly sick of competing with the untouchable son of Poseidon. Whatever issues you've got with the guy, you need some time to work them out. While you're doing that, I'm going to Boston. Maybe we can try again after you figure out what you want," he concluded._

" _Are. . . wait, are you breaking up with me because you're convinced I'm in love with Percy? Will, have you ever thought maybe I'm just not used to being in a relationship and it's just taking me a while to adjust? Why do you always have to be so damn pushy!" Nico shouted, drawing the attention of a passing nymph, who quickly looked away and sauntered off._

" _It's been six months, Nico. If you haven't adjusted yet, I'm not sure you will. Besides, I've seen the way you stare at the ocean. You have more love in your eyes for the water than you ever have for me. And that's just his element. Stop trying to hide it, you don't have to. All we ever do is fight anyway. . . I care about you, Nico. I'd love to keep trying. But I know as long as he has your heart, I don't stand a chance of winning it. And I refuse to compete if I can't win," Will recited, his blue eyes clouded with tears._

 _Nico stared at him, the truth of his words stinging his heart like a thousand bees. He didn't want to admit, to Will or to himself, that Will was right. Percy Jackson did still have his heart- and there was nothing in the world more frustrating to the son of Hades._

That was about a month ago. Will had made up his mind and was bound for Boston two days later. Just like that, their relationship was over. All in all, Nico figured he should've been happy. He did like Will, but more often than not, he was pretty miserable whenever the two of them would spend time together.

But, every time he saw Jason and Piper together, happy and in love, the gaping wound of loneliness would open up again. So he tried to avoid any situation where he might have to play third wheel to the happiest couple at camp.

Which brought him here; alone, in his dark cabin, staring at the floor and wondering if he was doomed to spend his whole life alone. It sure seemed like it. He and Will had only lasted six months. His first relationship only lasted six months before crashing and burning.

He plopped down in his uncomfortable bed and closed his eyes. The darkness that engulfed him was comforting, and soon he was sound asleep.

When he woke, it was bright. Beams of sun blinded him through the drapes on the windows. Wait. . . windows?

The Hades cabin didn't _have_ windows. And the sun shouldn't be out. He had gone to sleep early, so by all accounts, it should still be too early in the morning for the sun to have risen.

He sat up, realizing that the bed he was in was far too comfortable to be his bed in the Hades cabin. No, this definitely was _not_ the Hades cabin. The room was a beautiful, modern day bedroom- decorated in shades of gray.

Warily, the son of Hades stood up. His Stygian iron sword was propped up against the nightstand, which he thought was pretty lucky, considering he was obviously teleported somewhere unfamiliar. It was nice of his abductor to bring his sword along for the ride.

He grabbed the hilt and extended the blade, and walked down the hallway as quietly as he could. He checked the rooms upstairs, but found no one. He then made his way down the stairs and searched around the family room. Still, he found no one.

By the time he reached the kitchen, he realized how hungry he was. In his effort to avoid Jason and Piper, he had missed dinner the night before. His stomach howled with such fierceness he almost thought Lycaon had returned from Tartarus and was standing behind him.

Since no one was here, and he was rudely taken from his home and brought here without any food, clothes, or supplies- he figured it was okay if he just took a little snack for the road.

He opened the cupboards and rummaged through them, immediately spotting a box of "Nutty Bars." He tore into them, munching on one with reckless abandon.

Through the crunch of his snack, he could hear the distinct sound of someone yelling outside. He walked over to the window and took a peek through the blinds. He choked on his Nutty Bar as he caught a glimpse of the source.

There, running down the street in his pajamas, his sword drawn like a complete madman; was none other than Percy Jackson.

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 **A/N:** Well, that's all for this chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it! See you all next Wednesday!

 **Also:** For those of you who enjoy both Percy Jackson and RPGs, I am in the process of making a PJO fangame. You can find the download link for the demo on my profile~


	4. Purgatory- Day One

**A/N:** Welcome to chapter four, you lovely demigods! Time to get this show on the road. xD

 **Warnings:** None for this chapter

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Percy ran down the street, his bare feet hitting the cold concrete with force. He felt blinded by his rage. He thought he was done being a puppet to the gods. He thought he'd done his job and he was free to rest now. But he should've known better. The gods don't care if you've saved their skin over and over. To them, it's more of an insult than a favor- to show them up. They aren't as powerful as they like to think they are and because of that, all of their children have to suffer.

He could hear his own voice echoing off of the perfect houses. He was screaming as loud as his lungs would allow. Not in anger at any god- but in hopes that there was someone else in this hauntingly perfect utopia- anyone else. He knew he couldn't withstand solitude- he was sure to go insane.

Sure enough, just a few houses down the street, a door swung open and out ran Nico di Angelo, in the process of sheathing his sword. He looked just as confused as Percy felt- which didn't bode well for them.

"Percy?," the son of Hades asked, as he approached the other demigod, "What's going on? Where are we?"

"I was hoping you could answer that. The last thing I remember was going to sleep in my bed, I woke up in that house over there," Percy replied, a bit out breath, pointing down the street at the house he'd arrived in. "But if you're here then maybe some of the others are too. I thought all of these houses were completely empty."

"Empty?" Nico asked, his brows knit with confusion.

"Yeah, I checked a bunch of 'em, they're all empty- what's even worse, is that this neighborhood is stuck in a loop," Percy said.

"What do you mean, a loop?" Nico asked.

"I mean, if you run five blocks in any direction, you'll end up right back where you started. The gods are messing with us," the son of Poseidon explained, anger rising in his chest as he stared at the sky.

"So, we're in some sort of fabricated reality crafted by the gods?" Nico mused, more to himself than to his companion. He paused for a moment to think. "We should search for the others," he finally announced.

"Yeah," Percy agreed.

"Five blocks in any direction, huh? That's. . ." Nico said, pausing to do the math in his head, "25 blocks total. I'll take ten of the westernmost blocks, you can take furthest east. We'll each take two and a half more from the center," he concluded.

Percy was a little confused but agreed, if only because he was anxious to find the others.

"We'll meet back here at sunset," Nico proposed. Percy nodded and ran off to the easternmost reaches of the loop. He figured it would be easiest to start from the north eastern corner and work his way west.

Nico did the same, only starting from the north west and working east. One by one, the two boys searched every room in every house on the blocks. Each house was perfect- not a dirty dish or stray piece of garbage to be found. No dust or spiderwebs either. Whichever god created this universe didn't cut any corners.

The hours flew by and before long the sunlight had burned away. The sky was set in shades of purple and pink. Nico shuffled back towards the intersection of Ivy Lane and Willow Grove, back where he agreed to meet Percy.

He wasn't there very long, before Percy came trudging down the street. Nico could tell by the way he was carrying himself that his friend had come to the same conclusion he had; no one else was here. They were alone.

Nico had a feeling they must have been the only ones there halfway during his search. If any of the others were stuck in this loop with them, it was fair to say that they would've run into each other at some point during the day. He hadn't had time to search all the houses in his zone, but he was reasonably sure he didn't need to- at least to be sure there wasn't anyone else there. He knew they weren't going to find anyone.

"I guess you didn't find anything either, huh?" he asked the dejected green eyed demigod- who kicked a rock on the side of the road so hard that it took off flying down the street.

"Not a damn thing," he groaned, plopping himself down onto the curb. He looked up at Nico, hope glistening in his eyes. "Hey, now that it's dark, can you shadow travel out of here?" he asked.

"I-I mean, maybe I can try. But given the fact that I don't even know where "here" is; I might not be able to find my way back," Nico replied, not a very big fan of the concept of abandoning Percy in some fabricated reality.

"It's worth a shot. Our options are a little limited here," the son of Poseidon reasoned. Nico couldn't argue with him on that one.

"Alright, I'll give it a try. See you on the other side- hopefully," he said as he slipped into the shadows. True, he could have taken Percy with him, it would have certainly reduced the risk of them getting separated for good. But, it also would have reduced Nico's chances of finding his way out of the loop at all. Shadows are difficult enough to navigate on your own- add another person to the equation and that difficulty grows exponentially.

He made it to the end of the loop, that familiar feeling of his skin being nearly pulled away from his bones making him briefly lose his focus. He raced over the boundary of the loop and popped out of the shadows. He shook off his delirium and exhaustion, trying to focus on his surroundings. . .

"So? Did you find a way out?" Nico heard Percy say, the older boy grabbing his shoulder to stabilize him. Nico sighed- whichever god was responsible for this had even enchanted to shadows. They definitely considered every possibility.

"No. . . nothing. The shadows are intertwined with the loop- we can't get out that way," Nico replied, his breath hitched from the exertion of using underworld magic. It had been so long since he'd last used it, he was woefully out of practice.

"Damn it!" Percy yelled, kicking the curb. He began pacing. This was all a little more than he could stand. He was tired of fighting. He was tired of all the prophecies and all the games. He'd been fighting monsters nonstop for over five years. Why couldn't he just be left alone?

"We should call off the search for the night. Maybe make camp in one of these houses," Nico suggested. Percy didn't want to- he needed to believe there was a way out of here; a secret passage that the gods overlooked. Almost all magical places had a way out, it was just a matter of finding it. But, at the same time, he knew Nico was right. They would need to rest. If there was a way out, they probably weren't going to find it tonight.

"Yeah, you're right. . ." Percy said, taking a deep breath of the clean evening air. "We'll set up camp in that house," he decided, pointing to the white house with the bright red door- that was left wide open earlier that day.

Once they were both inside, Percy locked the door behind them, then immediately ran upstairs and grabbed as many blankets as he could carry. He hauled them downstairs and tossed them on the pristine, white sofas. Nico decided to head into the kitchen to look for some food. He discovered a couple Hot Pockets, which he popped in the microwave.

He brought one out to Percy, who had settled in under a big beige comforter. Nico sat on the sofa opposite him and the two ate dinner in silence. Even after the food was gone, several minutes passed with neither of the boys saying a word. Finally, Percy broke the silence.

"Who do you think did it?" he asked. Nico sighed.

"I have no idea. It just doesn't make any sense, no matter how you look at it. What's really puzzling is why it's just us, and not the other demigods- at least the other seven. I don't get it," the son of Hades replied, curling up into a ball on his side of the sofa.

"Neither do I. How do you think we're gonna get out of this one?" Percy asked, almost sarcastically. It was a pattern for them to get themselves into trouble like this- seemingly impossible situations, where escape seems unlikely. Somehow, they always find a way out. Percy had no doubts this would be any different. Still, he knew they would have to be diligent and use their heads to actually make their way back home. This is the part where Annabeth usually came up with a brilliant plan that would inexplicably work out in their favor. She wasn't here, which scared Percy a little. But then he remembered, Nico was no slouch. The kid was a whiz at most things he applied himself to- which mostly seemed to consist of random trivia and Greek mythology, but Percy was sure that, aside from Annabeth, Nico was the next best person to have on your team as far as making plans was concerned.

"I don't think we're going to figure that out until we figure out who brought us here and why. If there is a secret way out, the best clue to finding it is to know who made it. These gods always stick to their old tricks, so if we find out who made it, we can draw clues from the old myths to find it," Nico said. That was true- gods really did tend to get lazy with their schemes. They always used the same ones from the myths- which made their weaknesses very easy to pinpoint.

"I guess that's true. But it couldn't hurt to keep looking while we try to figure it out," Percy said, tucking himself further under his comforter. He had actually gotten oddly used to the warmer weather out on the west coast. This north eastern weather was colder than he remembered it.

"No, it couldn't," Nico replied, as he stood to take a peek out the window. The whole neighborhood looked sound asleep- which, of course, it was, since there was no one else in it but them. Lamp-posts were all lit up, even though there was no one in any of the houses to turn them on. Yellow street lights illuminated every few houses on the block and crickets chirped happily in the night. "For now, why don't you get some sleep. I'll keep watch," Nico proposed, turning back to Percy.

"Keep watch?" Percy asked. "Is that really necessary?"

"This place seems quiet now, but it was fabricated by a god. I could become some monster infested nightmare realm in an instant. We should stay on our toes," Nico said, looking back out the window. His companion's suspicions scared Percy a little more than this place did, but he wasn't about to say that.

"Alright, if you say so," he replied, rolling over onto his side and snuggling into his blankets. Nico settled into the cushioned bay window and kept his attention fixed on the empty street.

Within a few minutes, Percy was sound asleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that's all for this chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it! See you all next Wednesday!


	5. Purgatory- Cont

**A/N:** Welcome to chapter five, you lovely demigods! Thanks to all those who left a review on the last chapter! I really appreciate it! On to the next!

 **Warnings:** None for this chapter

* * *

Percy was surprised when he woke up in the morning, after having had a dreamless sleep. He almost never had those anymore. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had one. The morning sun was shining in through the windows, temporarily blinding the demigod. There was a surprisingly sweet aroma in the air- for a moment Percy thought he was back in New Rome and that Annabeth must have finally made it home.

But after his eyes adjusted to the room, he remembered that he was trapped in some godly purgatory with Nico di Angelo. As he looked around the living room, he noticed his companion was nowhere to be seen.

Percy stood and followed his nose into the kitchen, where he was a little floored by the sight of Nico, pulling some crispy waffles out of the toaster.

"Uh, morning," Percy said, trying not to startle the son of Hades. Nico whirled around, a butter knife in his hand, and grinned nervously.

"Hey, morning. I- uhm- hope you're hungry. I actually made a lot of these," he said, gesturing to a stack of waffles set aside on a plate.

"Good. I'm starving," Percy replied, walking over to the plate of waffles and helping himself. There were a few with blueberries, as well as a few with chocolate chips- both of which happened to be Percy's favorite flavors. He loaded his waffles down with butter and maple syrup, then sat down at the table to eat. Nico followed closely behind him.

"Thanks," Percy said, looking at Nico with guilt in his sea-green eyes. He knew that he had a lot to make up for with Nico. He never did treat the kid with the same kindness and mindfulness that he did with most of his other friends. And Nico probably deserved it more than almost anyone else. Percy just wasn't sure how he was supposed to make it up to him. Especially after Nico's confession at the end of last summer. What was he even supposed to do with that? Either way, now was hardly the time or place to be worried about it. He could make things right with Nico once they got out of this mess.

"Sure, no problem," Nico replied, his deep brown eyes fixed on his plate. It was difficult for him to actually look Percy in the eye these days, after being called out on his feelings by Will. Sometimes, Nico feared that if he stared into Percy's eyes for too long, it would bring everything he thought he'd buried right back. But if Will was right, none of those feelings ever truly went away, and his affections for the son of Poseidon were just as strong as ever.

Despite the awkwardness, this was a comfortable breakfast, Percy thought. He'd gotten so used to awkward breakfasts with Annabeth. It was a different sort of awkwardness though. With her, there was always an aggravating silence between the two of them. It was ire inducing. She'd either be scribbling out more plans or doing calculations in her head. When she wasn't doing that, she was complaining about something. Either way, there was never any real peace at the breakfast table. Or the dinner table, Or in the bedroom. Or . . . just about anywhere.

The silence that passed between Percy and Nico was peaceful, in its own way. There were clearly a lot of unspoken words that needed to be said, but at least Percy didn't feel like storming out in a blind rage, and that was certainly a start.

After breakfast, Percy ran upstairs and rummaged through the closets for anything, other than pajamas, that would fit him. He was surprised to find that there were actually a few different things that did. He threw on a sky blue sweatshirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. He even managed to find a pair of tennis shoes that fit him really well. Honestly, he shouldn't have been too surprised; this reality was the making of some god. They probably filled it with a bunch of things that are conveniently the right size for both he and Nico.

Percy ran downstairs and announced it was time to head out. Nico threw on his jacket and shoes. He didn't believe for one second that they were going to find anything out there, but Percy just wouldn't be satisfied until they'd searched every inch of the loop.

The two boys split up, with a plan to meet back at the house by sunset. Nico was the first one to return to the house, as the sun's rays began to fade from the sky. He sat on the porch and waited for Percy. Part of him was beginning to worry, when the street lights popped on and Percy still hadn't returned. But, after a few minutes, Percy came trudging down the street, his hands in his pockets.

"Find anything?" he asked, already knowing the answer- just based on Nico's calm demeanor.

"No. Nothing," the son of Hades replied.

"Me either," Percy said, his voice low. He sighed and walked up the steps, passed Nico. "C'mon, let's get inside. It's getting chilly out here."

Nico followed him into the house, locking the door behind him as he entered. Percy started to make his way toward the kitchen, before turning around to face his dark companion.

"I'll take car of dinner, since you made us breakfast," Percy said, his eyes looking every bit as tired as he felt.

"Oh. . . yeah, okay," Nico responded. He didn't want to admit how nice this all felt. It wasn't real and it would be wrong to enjoy it. This whole reality was just an illusion. Things couldn't always be like this. Nor would he want them to be. . . Percy wasn't happy. He was running himself ragged trying to get back to the person who _does_ make him happy. This whole place was all just a dream. A very uncomfortable dream.

As Percy busied himself with making some grilled cheese sandwiches, he couldn't help but notice how quiet the house was. Not the unsettling- monsters are gonna show up any minute- kind of quiet. Just a lonesome silence. And he was in an unfamiliar place on top of everything else. He just wanted to go home.

 _'What would I even be going home to?'_ he thought. He missed his girlfriend- but he was missing her long before he came here. He made a point to try and give her some space. Although he didn't understand her need for creating, he knew that it was important to her. And he respected that. For a while.

Eventually, he decided that she'd had enough time to obsess over her designs and that he need some attention too. He thought he was being perfectly reasonable with his requests- quiet dinners at home together, cuddle time in bed, small things like that. Annabeth did agree to do them more often, but her head was never with him when they did. He would ask her questions that she didn't even hear because she was lost in her own little world.

After the last fight they had, Percy was starting to wonder where their relationship was heading. He didn't want to give up, he would never do that. But at the same time; the sinking feeling in his chest- that crippling loneliness he felt night after night- was only getting heavier. And Percy had no idea how to fix it. Or even if he _could_ fix it.

He finished cooking their dinner and took the sandwiches out into the living room, where Nico had made himself comfortable in the bay window once again.

"Thanks, Percy," the son of Hades said, as he took the plate Percy offered him. He wore a grateful smile, which was odd. Percy wasn't used to seeing Nico smile- and he was surprised by how natural it looked on him.

"You're welcome," Percy replied, sitting down on the sofa and chowing down on his gooey sandwich. They ate their dinner in silence, while Nico peered out the window. What he was expecting to see, Percy had no idea.

"I can take watch duty tonight," Percy offered, dusting grilled cheese crumbs off of his hands once he was finished.

"It's alright. I have trouble sleeping in new places anyway, I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight," Nico admitted. Percy knew that Nico had bouts of insomnia- everyone knew. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together, all it took was one look at the guy. The circles under his eyes were so deep and purple, he looked like he had two fresh shiners.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind. You should try to get some sleep," Percy insisted. The son of Hades was used to co-existing with the dead, but even Nico di Angelo could get sick. With no hospitals or ambrosia around, Percy didn't like the idea of either one of them getting deathly ill.

"I'm sure. Seriously, I'm not even tired. I'll take watch," Nico said, looking back out the window. Percy sighed.

"Alright, if you insist," he muttered, as he rolled himself up in his blankets and closed his eyes. Just like the night before, he was out within minutes.

* * *

The following day was much like the last. And the day after that. And the day after that. . . Nico would wake up first- regardless of who took night watch duty. If it was him, he'd just stay up all night. If it was Percy, he would inevitably fall asleep halfway through and Nico would wake up to find him drooling in the window seat.

Each morning, Nico would wake Percy with breakfast, then the two of them would split up and go searching for something that, Nico believed, didn't exist. They would meet back at the house at sunset, always empty handed. Then Percy would cook dinner and they would turn in for the night.

It was clear neither of the two felt comfortable striking up a conversation that wasn't directly related to their situation. To Percy, there were a lot of hard feelings and mistakes- not to mention a fair deal of awkwardness relating to Nico's- uhm, lifestyle that Percy couldn't even begin to understand. For Nico- it was a tad bit more complicated. Just knowing that Percy knew about his feelings, to a certain degree, was bad enough. What was worse though was that he still felt them- a fact which he assumed was no longer an issue for almost a year. Add to that the fact that he hadn't even really spoken to Percy since his big confession and you had yourself a recipe for disaster.

Rather than deal with all of that on top of being trapped in a fabricated reality, the two boys chose to remain silent. It was an unspoken arrangement that they were both comfortable with.

On the fifth morning, Nico tapped Percy's shoulder, rousing him from his sleep. The groggy demigod managed to make his way out of his linen cocoon, to find Nico holding out a bowl of Lucky Charms.

"Breakfast is ready," he said, completely serious, passing Percy the bowl. As they usually did, the two ate in silence. Afterwards, Nico took the bowls back into the kitchen while Percy got ready to start another vigorous day of searching. Nico was just walking back into the living room as Percy started slipping on his shoes.

"Well, time to head out. You ready?" Percy asked, zipping up his jacket.

"Actually, Percy. . . I don't think I'm going back out to search," Nico said, sounding the slightest bit guilty- especially once he saw the look of confused anger that flashed across Percy's face.

"What? Why not? You want to get out of this place, don't you?" the son of Poseidon asked irritably.

"Of course I do, but listen- whoever brought us here was careful enough to enchant the shadows. There's no way they left some secret passage around for us to find. I think this place is like a modern day Ogygia- an impenetrable reality that serves a very specific purpose. I don't think we're going to find a way out of here until we figure out who brought us here and why. Until then, we're burning ourselves out searching for something that probably isn't there," the younger boy explained.

"Maybe. Or, maybe there is a way out and it's just really well hidden. I can think and search at the same time- I don't want to give up searching this soon," Percy said, his expression softening a bit. He understood why Nico was okay with giving up so quickly- as far as Percy knew, Nico had nothing particularly important waiting for him back home. At this point, Percy was pretty sure he didn't have much waiting for him either, but he was still determined to get back to his old life- however depressing it might be.

"Suit yourself. I'm gonna hang back here and try to figure this out," Nico replied. Percy promised to be back by sundown, as usual, then headed out to search.

Nico made himself comfortable on the sofa. It was oddly relaxing- knowing that, in this world, it was just him and Percy. No one else to judge him or make assumptions about him. No monsters. No prophecies. Just the two of them in their own world.

Right now, alone in this spiffy house, Nico felt his muscles beginning to unwind. A big part of him just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. But he refrained. As cozy as this place was, and as much as he would have loved to just stay in his own little world with Percy- it wasn't meant to be.

Percy wasn't happy here. And neither was he. He had friends back home, friends that cared about him. They would be worried. This little dream just couldn't go on forever. Nico had to think. Who would benefit from this?

Hours passed, but he couldn't make sense of any of it. As far as he could tell, there were only two possible reasons a god would go this far. The first being that they were locked here to keep them from interfering with a godly scheme. But that didn't make any sense no matter how Nico looked at it. If that were the case, why would this god feel the need to just lock them away and not the others. Nico couldn't think of a single god who had a bone to pick with both him and Percy, at least not specifically.

No, that possibility was just ludicrous. The only other explanation would be that whoever locked them away here wasn't trying to isolate them from the rest of the world- rather, they were tossing them in a cage together just to watch them fetch the cheese. They were lab rats, that was the only answer that made even the slightest bit of sense. But the better question was; why?

What sort of entertainment could he and Percy offer that would be worth going to all the trouble of creating a whole new world for them to exist in? It certainly couldn't have been to watch them fight, that wasn't likely to happen- not as long as they were focused on finding a way out. The only other thing they had between them was . . .

The pieces began to click into place. Most gods wouldn't care one bit about demigod drama, especially demigod romance. But a love god would. And since Aphrodite already placed her bets on Percy and Annabeth- there was only one other god Nico could think of that might have a hand in this.

Eros. . . or more specifically, Cupid.

It all made sense now; last summer, Cupid had tormented Nico at Diocletian's palace. He'd proven himself to be a truly vile and despicable god, completely unforgiving and cruel. This is exactly the sort of thing he'd do. But would he have the sort of power to do it alone? He was a minor god, after all. And creating a whole new reality couldn't be an easy task.

But he had fought Nico before. He did know his moves and his weaknesses. And he'd be sure to tamper with the shadows to ensure Nico couldn't leave. It all fit.

The bigger problem was telling Percy about his theory. Doing that would mean he'd have to tell Percy about the first time he'd met Cupid, which was an encounter Nico hoped he'd never have to repeat to anyone, not even himself.

Nico wasn't aware of how late it had gotten. As he was pondering what he was gong to do, Percy came trudging through the front door, his shoulders slumped and his face long. Nico didn't have to ask how the search went, the answer was fairly obvious.

"I've got dinner tonight," Nico said, getting up off of the sofa and heading toward the kitchen.

"Hey. . .," Percy began, "did you come up with any ideas?" he asked, sadly. Nico was torn. On one hand, Percy did need to know about his suspicions. On the other hand though, even if he did know, there wasn't much they could do about it. And that would mean Nico would have to revisit a really uncomfortable story that directly involved his feelings for Percy, which he just wasn't in the mood to do tonight. He did plan on telling Percy the truth. . . just not right this minute.

"Still working on it," he lied, turning on his heels and walking to the kitchen. He cooked up some eggs and sausage- with much difficulty. The fact was, Nico had never cooked an actual meal in his life. He spent years eating canned beans and fast food for dinner every night. How he'd avoided having to cook for so long was beyond him. But he was surprised by how easy eggs and sausage were to cook.

Soon, after another silent meal, the food was gone. Percy offered to do the dishes. Afterwards, he crawled back under his blankets. This was the fifth night in a row that he was going to bed in a strange house, in a terrible mood, with Nico staring oddly out the window.

But, once again, it only took the older demigod minutes to lull himself into a dream-filled sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that's all for this chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it! See you all next Wednesday!


	6. Water Changes Everything

**A/N:** Welcome to chapter six, you lovely demigods! Thanks so much to all those who left a review on the last chapter! I really appreciate it! On to the next!

 **Warnings:** None for this chapter

* * *

The following morning was more than a little lonely for the Ghost King. He had woken up, with a jolt- thanks to a particularly disturbing nightmare, completely alone. He didn't even remember falling asleep, but there he was; curled up in a ball in the bay window, disoriented and groggy. It was Percy's job to fall asleep during watch duty. It just wasn't like him.

Then again, he had barely gotten any sleep since he'd woken up in this place. He may be the son of Hades, but (like it or not) he was still half human- and he did need to sleep from time to time.

Back to the matter at hand though, Nico was alone in the living room. He took a quick glance around the room and noticed that Percy's jacket and his shoes were gone. Nico hoped that Percy just went to search the neighborhood some more and didn't want to wake him. Maybe he figured his sleep deprived companion wouldn't want to come anyway. And he would have been right to- Nico had no interest in searching for a way out. He knew they were never going to find one. He was more worried about how he was going to tell Percy about his theory. . . and his past with the god he assumed had to be their captor; Cupid.

It was a subject he didn't want to dwell on too much, at least not on an empty stomach. He stood and sauntered into the kitchen, where he grabbed himself a cold strawberry pop-tart and plopped himself down on the living room sofa.

As he sat there, munching on the sweet treat, he stared at his own reflection in the black television screen. The sight of himself, disheveled and scrawny, wasn't helping his appetite. So he snatched up the remote and flipped on the TV. He was a little surprised when a picture actually faded into view. For whatever reason, neither he nor Percy had even thought to turn the thing on- I guess it was just because demigods are used to life without TV.

The program that was on seemed to be the national news. There was a little clock on the screen, displaying the date and time. By Nico's calculations, it was the exact day it would have been in the mortal world. So maybe it was safe to assume that this place was in almost the exact same time zone (and speed) as the mortal world. Which was either a very good or very bad thing; depending on how long they were stuck in this suburban nightmare.

The news reporters seemed to just be spouting the same garbage as always; political drama, dangerous food recalls, animal cruelty, and human trafficking- all that horrible stuff they exploit just to guarantee the public watches their show. Nico had heard enough about all those things (and more) from the ghosts in the Underworld. He decided to change the channel.

He discovered pretty quickly that was a waste of time too. Nothing he saw could hold his attention for more than a minute or so, and it was all just a little much for him first thing in the morning. So he turned the TV off and went back to staring at his own reflection- or rather back to trying to look anywhere but at his own reflection.

After his breakfast, he thought he'd explore the house some more. He and Percy had been staying there for days and neither of them had really snooped around. But, just as with all the other houses in the loop, Nico found that there was nothing particularly interesting about this one either. So he slipped on his boots and walked out the back door.

He was a little amazed by what he saw. The entire back yard was alive; massive gardens, blooming with daisies, honeysuckle, and various other flowers that Nico couldn't identify. Butterflies and bumble bees fluttered around, dazed by the early afternoon heat. The grass was the most vibrant shade of green Nico had ever seen- and it seemed to be freshly cut, even though he and Percy had been there for days and they surely hadn't cut it. Just beyond the back door was an immaculate stone patio, that was far bigger than it needed to be. It was inlaid with a massive in-ground swimming pool, the water as blue as the sky, and a fire pit, complete with stone benches that wrapped all the way around it. A bit closer to the house stood a grill big enough to cook a pegasus. Off to the left of the pool, just perched on the stone patio, was a gazebo; covered in ivy and surrounded by miniature gardens full of purple, yellow, and white flowers.

Even his step-mother's garden in Erebos couldn't hold a torch to this place. It made him wonder if maybe Persephone had a hand in building this world- it was hard to imagine any other god being capable of creating such a perfect spring afternoon. He took a seat at the little dining table under the gazebo. The air smelled so fresh and crisp, he had to sigh as he exhaled. He wasn't a fan of the sun, but even Nico had to admit, this place was truly beautiful.

He closed his eyes, taking in all the smells and the sounds around him. Before long, the soft song of the birds lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

He awoke, once again with a start, but this time not from a nightmare. A loud _'thud'_ roused him, making him jolt in surprise. When he opened his eyes, he realized that the sun had almost set. _'How long was I asleep?'_ he wondered.

He then realized Percy must have gotten home and ran like a bat out of Hell to greet him at the front door. Although Nico hadn't expected Percy to find anything useful, he was still a little surprised to see the completely forlorn expression on his friend's face.

"No luck, I take it," Nico said, softly. Percy sighed, kicking his shoes off and plopping down on the sofa.

"You were right," he finally muttered, after a moment of silence.

"About what?" Nico asked.

"There is no secret passage. There's no. . ." Percy began, pausing to think of the right word. "loophole. Literally. We're actually stuck in this loop," he concluded, slouching into the sofa. Nico understood why Percy felt so hopeless- there was every possibility that they were stuck in this place forever. And while Nico had very little to go back to- Percy didn't. He had a life- and a future.

Percy closed his eyes, frustration and fear building up inside him. What if they never made it back home? What if this was just his life now? Stuck in this suburban nightmare, never able to see his friends or family again.

He couldn't let himself think like that. If he gave in to his hopelessness, he'd just be giving the gods what they wanted- or at least the god responsible for this. He had to believe there was a way. There was always a way. . . But the more he searched for it, the more bleak this whole situation seemed.

Nico glanced over at the back door, then turned his gaze back to Percy. He thought about his theory. He had a feeling he knew which god may be responsible for this and he also knew that he had to tell Percy about his suspicions sooner or later. Percy didn't even know about Nico's past with Cupid- so there's no way he could figure it out on his own. Nico owed it to his friend to tell him the truth- and he was going to.

But looking at the older demigod now, slumped in an abject heap on the sofa, Nico just couldn't bring himself to mention it. Even if he did tell Percy about Cupid, it wouldn't change the fact that they're stuck in this loop. Sure, it would be a step in the right direction. . . maybe. Or maybe Cupid wasn't even responsible for this at all. Either way, the subject was sure to do little to help Percy's mood. Nico decided, since the two of them wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, that he would hold off on bringing up Cupid.

The ghostly demigod held back a small grin as an idea struck him.

"I think I know something that might make you feel a little better," he said, almost impishly. Percy opened his eyes slowly, glancing over at his companion with a very doubtful look on his face. He couldn't imagine a single thing, short of getting out of this provincial purgatory, that could possibly make him feel better.

To his utter surprise, Nico grabbed him by his sleeve and playfully dragged him out to the backyard. He followed, trying really hard to wrap his head around Nico's demeanor. The kid spent most of his time moping- it just wasn't like him to be giddy. At least, not anymore. When Percy first met Nico, he was a bright eyed, playful little kid. He changed so fast that Percy hadn't even had the time to consider that maybe that excitable little boy might still be in there somewhere.

As soon as Percy stepped foot on the stone patio, he was taken aback by the beautiful paradise in front of him. The sun had fully set, the sky now painted in shades of midnight blue and purple. Despite the dark of the night, the whole backyard was still completely alive. Soft yellow lights burned on every corner of the gazebo, casting a glow over all the flowers, most of which had closed their blooms for the night. The entire perimeter of the stone patio was speckled with lights as well, illuminating a path toward the fire pit. But most breathtaking of all was the in-ground swimming pool. Like everything else, it was lit up like Christmas. A bright blue glow, casting aqua reflections on every surface the light touched. The water danced, causing the reflections to shift, making the entire patio look like his father's underwater kingdom.

Nico grinned knowingly at his companion, who was so hypnotized by the water he didn't even notice. It had been such a long time since Percy had been this close to the water. Too long. Just being near it made him feel closer to home.

He smiled, taking a short glance at Nico, before taking a running leap into the pool. The water closed in around him, filling him with a feeling of relief and peace that he hadn't felt in such a long time- long before he was brought here.

Nico let a small, crooked smile creep onto his lips. Watching Percy just being himself always made him want to smile- especially since it had been such a long time since he'd seen Percy just being himself. The son of Hades took a seat in a reclining chair on the edge of the pool, content to just watch Percy thriving in his element.

The older demigod broke the surface of the water and noticed his gloomy friend sitting on the sidelines. He swam over to the edge of the pool, next to Nico, and rested his arms on the stone patio.

"Aren't you coming in?" he asked, a curious smile on his face. It was amazing how quickly his mood improved by just being in the water- Nico was actually a little surprised.

"Uhm, no, I'm good here," he replied, raising his hands to make his point.

"C'mon, the water's nice. Not too warm, not too cold. . . it'll be fun," Percy persisted. Something in his eyes felt a little unsettling; a certain madness that Nico almost recognized.

"No thanks, Percy. I'd prefer to stay dry, if it's all the same to you," Nico insisted, though he couldn't help but smile at Percy's attempts. It was sweet that Percy wanted him to join him at all- though Nico guessed he only wanted him to join because there was no one else to ask.

That mischievous gleam flashed in Percy's eyes again, but before Nico could question it, Percy had propelled himself out of the pool, a wave of water under his feet. He grabbed Nico by the hands and pulled them both into the pool. Nico screamed in surprise, before going under.

When he finally surfaced, Nico found himself coughing and sputtering, having swallowed about a gallon of pool water. He glared at Percy, who was laughing hysterically.

"Alright, Jackson. I'll play your game," Nico said, a dark smile spreading across his face.

Percy didn't even have time to collect himself, before the all the lights in the backyard were snuffed out by thick, black shadows. Suddenly, the entire place was shrouded in complete darkness. Before Percy could adjust, he felt two cold hands grab his head and shoulder- before he knew it, he was being dunked.

He laughed, even though his head was under the water. He reached out and found Nico's waist, grabbed onto it and lifted him halfway out of the water. Nico yelped in surprise, only to be slammed back under the water. Once again, he came out coughing and sputtering, but this time he couldn't suppress a tiny chuckle from escaping his throat.

"That's what you get for challenging a son of Poseidon to a water fight," Percy laughed into the darkness. "I can still feel you, even in the dark, as long as you're in the water."

"It's a good thing I'm not in the water, then," Percy heard Nico say from behind him. He couldn't see him, but he could tell that he was, in fact, no longer in the water. He was standing on the edge of the pool. Percy assumed he must have shadow traveled there, otherwise he would've heard him getting out of the water.

Before Percy could react, Nico jumped right on his foe's back, dragging him down under the water once again. Percy let out another underwater laugh. It wasn't everyday that he met his match in a water fight. . . in fact, he couldn't even remember ever _having_ a playful water fight before. . . ever.

"Okay, okay. Truce," Percy declared with a chuckle, as he broke the water's surface. The lights flickered back on. Both boys looked at each other, soaking wet and out of breath. For a moment, they were both silent.

Then, almost in compete unison, they busted out laughing. Not an awkward or uncomfortable laugh- just genuine, sidesplitting laughter. The water rippled as they bobbed about, their voices echoing off of the sides of the pool.

Percy was struck by the realization that this was the most fun he'd had in years. . . even more sobering was the fact that he hadn't even laughed like this in months- and it was with Nico di Angelo, of all people.

But perhaps the most surprising thing about all of this was that Nico was laughing too. Percy couldn't ever remember even hearing Nico laugh- at least not since he lost his sister. But here he was, chortling in a pool, after a pretty epic demigod water fight.

Maybe it was the endorphin rush. . . or maybe it was the way the soft aqua glow of the pool danced across Nico's deep, brown eyes- but Percy couldn't help but think how precious Nico's laugh was.

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 **A/N:** Well, that's all for this chapter. Thanks for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it! See you all next Wednesday!


	7. Love Gods Kinda Suck

**A/N:** Welcome to chapter seven, you lovely demigods! A big thank you to all those who left a review on the last chapter! It's always hugely appreciated! On to the next!

 **Warnings:** A bit of language.

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The two demigods spent a good few hours in the water- splashing and joking around. It wasn't until Nico looked down at his own fingers and realized they had begun to prune that he noticed how late it had gotten. He brought the hour to Percy's attention, which almost seemed to bring his sour mood back just a little.

Reluctantly, the two of them stepped out of the water and were immediately engulfed by the chill of the night. Percy was just about to use his powers to dry them both, before he ultimately decided he didn't want to. He liked the feeling of being wet- and he enjoyed the process of drying off, there was something soothing about it to him. Not to mention, he couldn't help but appreciate how Nico looked when he was soggy- it made him look oddly innocent- the way soaking wet strands of his midnight hair dripped onto his cheeks and his thick eyelashes stuck together like little spiders.

So, inside they went. Percy ran to the hall closet and grabbed a couple towels. The boys rubbed their bodies dry the best they could, before going into seperate rooms to change into some dry clothes that didn't belong to them.

Percy came back into the living room a couple minutes later, wearing some dove gray pajama pants and a dark blue pullover hoodie. He found Nico sitting on the couch, wearing black jeans and a black sweatshirt- decorated with a sugar skull. He had his towel draped over his shoulders and he wore a contemplative expression, which seemed a bit troubled to Percy.

The aquatic demigod almost didn't want to ask him what was wrong- he'd just had a surprisingly fun night and, honestly, he didn't want to go back to being scared and depressed until tomorrow. But, Nico had found a way to cheer him up when he was feeling down. The least Percy could do was try to do the same for his ghostly friend.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked, sitting down on the sofa beside Nico.

"I. . ." Nico began, but didn't know how to finish his thought. Percy needed to know the truth. . . and the longer he put it off, the harder it was going to be to say it out loud. It already felt impossible. . . but it just had to be done. No more hiding. No more lies. Not to Percy. . . and not to himself. He took a deep breath and locked his eyes on Percy's.

"So, listen," he began awkwardly, "I might know who's behind this. . . but I'm not really sure why." Percy perked up.

"You do?! Who is it?!" he yelled, a mixture of elation and anger in his voice.

"I mean, I don't know for sure. It's just my best guess. I could be wrong-"

"Nico, who is it?" Percy interjected, impatiently.

"It might be Cupid. . ." Nico said, his eyebrows furrowed. Percy just blinked at him for a few seconds, disbelief washing over him. ' _Cupid. . . like the naked baby? St. Valentine's minion? He's the one who built this impenetrable stronghold? What?!'_ Percy thought. Nico noticed the confusion on his friend's face and figured he owed him an explanation.

"He's nothing like what you're imagining, Percy," Nico began, shaking Percy from his trance.

"You've met him?" Percy asked, once again, completely confounded.

"Yeah, and once is more than enough," Nico confessed, "Take Aphrodite and make her a thousand times worse, and you've got Cupid. He's malicious and unforgiving. He's the side of love that no one wants to think about- the gritty, ugly side."

"Okay. . . but why would Cupid want to trap us here?" Percy asked. Nico took another deep breath, trying to build up the courage to say what he needed to say.

"Like I said, I'm not really sure what he wants. But I can't think of any other god who knows or cares about. . . my feelings for you," Nico practically whispered, turning his eyes away from Percy.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Nico?" Percy replied, his heart beating faster, only he had no idea why.

"There's no god that you and me have specifically pissed off. There's no reason I can think of that our powers alone would be a threat to anyone. There's only one thing I know of that ties you and me together. And there's only one god that I can think of that would take pleasure in exploiting it. . . Percy, the first time I met Cupid, he was completely sadistic. He attacked me and Jason. He wouldn't stop until I confessed how I felt. . . about you," Nico relented. He didn't want to get into this, mostly for his own sake. He just wanted to let go of Percy. . . but he already felt his old feelings eating away at his heart, almost like they never left. Maybe they hadn't. . . maybe Will was right all along.

"Cupid attacked you until you confessed that you. . . had feelings for me?" Percy asked, his mouth feeling oddly dry. It wasn't surprising to him that a god would do something like that, they antagonize demigods all the time. What did surprise him though, was that Nico's feelings ran so deep. Deeper than he'd imagined, anyway. They were enough to draw the attention of a love god. Last summer, Nico had told him that he had once had a crush on him. . . that was it- "a crush." He never mentioned anything about confronting a love god.

"Yeah. . ." Nico confirmed. Percy felt his heartbeat pounding in his head, he wasn't sure if it was out of anger at the gods or out of. . . something else. Either way, he knew it was best to keep things simple. Nico already felt guilty enough, there was no need to make it worse by asking more questions about his experience with Cupid.

"And you have no idea why Cupid would have brought us here, other than to be sadistic?" Percy asked, trying to mask his curiosity.

"No, like I said, it's just a theory. The only one that makes any bit of sense to me. But we shouldn't rule out other gods," Nico sighed. He wasn't sure why Percy was acting so calm. He'd expected him to just instantly assume that Cupid was the god behind all this and start raging at the skies, trying to make Cupid listen to him. Percy really had become more level headed over the years. Maybe it was because of Annabeth. Maybe it was Tartarus. Who knows? All Nico knew, was that it was wildly attractive how grown up Percy had become.

"Alright," the son of Poseidon groaned, "well, we'll figure this out more tomorrow. It's really late." He stood up and tossed his damp towel on the floor. "I'll take watch, get some sleep."

"I slept most of the day, I'm not that tired," Nico admitted.

"Me either. I insist, " Percy said, plopping himself down in the window seat. Nico couldn't really argue with him after that. He knew he wouldn't get very far if he tried anyway, so he relented and snuggled into the blankets on the couch. He was surprised by how cozy he felt, swaddled in the warmth of the comforter. He took a deep breath and realized the pillow smelled just like Percy. Nico buried his face in the soft cotton and immersed himself in the fresh, salty aroma.

Percy sat in the window, staring out at the brightly lit street. He couldn't place the way he was feeling right now- it was different from anything he'd ever felt before. He recognized the feeling of guilt- which he knew was an ingredient in the stew that was his current mood.

Over the years, Percy had discarded a great number of people that cared about him. He was aware that he wasn't always as loyal as he liked to think he was. He wasn't always the greatest friend. In fact, there were a lot of times he could be downright rotten. Many people became footnotes in his life. It wasn't all his fault; his life was a whirlwind of bullshit. It wasn't always easy to make time for everyone he loved when he was busy trying to save the world. He tried not blame himself for it all- if he did that, he'd drive himself crazy. But the one person in his life that deserved way more than Percy ever gave him was lying on the sofa across the room from him. That was a fact Percy had always believed.

But now he wasn't sure what to think. To imagine that all this time, Nico had cared that much about him and he hadn't even known. . . he hadn't even suspected. Percy tried to retrace Nico's steps in his head, he tried to look at everything Nico had ever done for him. The more he thought about it, the more sense it all made. And the more guilty Percy felt.

Nico deserved more. He deserved better. Much better than Percy Jackson. But all the same, Percy felt his heart swell with feeling at the very thought of it- that someone cared that much for him. Enough to risk their life for him, and not expect even a shred of gratitude in return. Nico had once been referred to as an "angel" in one of their prophecies. Percy was beginning to think it wasn't just because of his surname. Nico really was saintly, in his own way. Always hiding in the shadows, willing to risk his own livelihood to help. Percy never believed in guardian angels, but if ever there was one; his was Nico.

He shook those thoughts away- they were starting to weird him out. His mind eventually wandered to the problem at hand; getting out of here. He thought about what Nico had told him. About Cupid and his penchant for toying with people's emotions. Percy tried to think about his motive. It couldn't be that he just wanted to fuck with Nico some more, this was all way too elaborate for that. Not to mention, if that was the case- it would suck a whole lot, since there wouldn't really be much of a solution for that. So, the real question was, what did he want?

If what Nico said about Cupid was true- that he was the gritty side of love, maybe it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that he wanted to create romantic tension somehow. Maybe. . . maybe he wanted them to fall in love. It was a little out there, but if Percy fell in love with Nico, it would complicate everything. It would make things complicated for the two of them. . . it would put a huge strain on his relationship with Annabeth- which was already a little strained, honestly. Percy couldn't imagine a more gritty romantic situation.

Or, maybe they were on the wrong track and Cupid wasn't even behind this. All the same, it was the only explanation they had to go on.

That theory still left one major problem- Percy wasn't in love with Nico. Nor could he imagine that he'd ever be. His heart already belonged to someone. And even though their relationship hadn't been living up to his expectations, he still adored his girlfriend.

It didn't take long for an idea to hatch in Percy's brain- one of those crazy ideas he was known for. If Cupid wanted him to fall in love with Nico- then he'd get what he wanted. Or, at least, he was going to _think_ he was.

The only problem with his plan was that he couldn't actually _tell_ Nico about it. Cupid could be listening to their every word. Percy didn't want to execute a plan like this without telling Nico first- what if Nico didn't catch on? What if he thought it was all real and once again Percy was responsible for hurting him? That was literally the last thing Percy wanted.

But he was starting to get desperate and his choices were slowly beginning to dwindle. In order to get home, they would have to somehow convince Cupid they were in love. Percy would just have to hope that Nico was on the same page as him- which was entirely possible. Nico's a smart guy, if Percy managed to come to this conclusion, Nico probably would too.

' _It shouldn't be too hard,'_ Percy thought. He really did love spending time with Nico- he'd come to realize. They had a lot of fun together. Pretending to be in love with the guy was a little out of Percy's comfort zone, but he knew that it wouldn't be too difficult to make it seem legit. Which was a notion that he wasn't completely comfortable with either.

Eventually, his mind gave up and, as he usually did when he took watch duty, he passed out in the window.

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 **A/N:** Well, that's all for this chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it! See you all next Wednesday!


	8. The Plan- Phase One

**A/N:** Welcome to chapter eight, fellow demis! A big thank you to all those who left a review on the last chapter! It's always hugely appreciated! On to the next!

 **Warnings:** None for this chapter

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Percy awoke to see sunbeams glistening brightly through the window. It looked to be around one or two in the afternoon. He wondered how he managed to sleep so late. Then he remembered, he'd stayed up most of the night, thinking about things. . . many awkward things.

He stretched and looked over at the couch to check on Nico- and was surprised to see that he wasn't there. He stood up and wandered into the kitchen, assuming maybe Nico was making breakfast, as he usually did.

"Nico?" Percy called, softly, as he entered the kitchen threshold. It was immediately clear, he wasn't there either.

Percy's heart began to race. Where was he? What if Cupid took him and left Percy here all alone? Nico was the only companion he had in this place. . . he couldn't do this alone. He just couldn't. He ran around the house like a headless chicken, busting down doors and shouting Nico's name.

When he couldn't find him inside, he darted out the door and began calling his friend's name through the streets. He stopped when he heard Nico's voice echo from the backyard of their house. Percy let out a deep sigh of relief and ran up the driveway and through the back gate. He found Nico, sitting bolt upright in one of the chairs around the gazebo, looking like a startled meerkat.

With a small smile teasing the corner of his lips, Percy ran over to the gazebo and took a seat beside the son of Hades.

"What are you doing out here?" Percy asked, a little out of breath.

"I just wanted someplace quiet, you know, to think," Nico replied, a quizzical twitch in his brow, "Were you. . . worried about me?"

"Well, I mean. . . I was just afraid maybe Cupid teleported you somewhere. . . or something. You know how the gods can be," Percy admitted. He tried to ignore the tingling sensations in his stomach and the small crooked grin on Nico's face, that made him look like an adorably shy but mischievous elf.

Nico had to imagine that Percy's biggest concern was being left alone in this Stepford nightmare. Not that he could blame him- as used to being alone as he was, even he wouldn't be okay trapped in the loop by himself. He'd admit that the neighborhood was beautiful; the multi-story houses all immaculately kept, with flourishing gardens and perfectly paved streets. The driveways were all filled with nice cars and minivans. If you didn't know better, it would just look like a peaceful little suburb on the surface.

Somehow, that made the whole neighborhood all the more unsettling. The place was a ghost town- no, not a ghost town, there weren't even any of those there. The loop didn't feel like a real place. It was more like a dream. A nightmare in some ways, but a very good dream in others. Nico recalled the previous night, as he took a short glance over at the swimming pool. That memory would stay with him for the rest of his life- no matter how hard things got, he knew he could always look back on those few hours with Percy and remember how happy he'd been. That was a great comfort to the son of Hades. He honestly didn't have too many happy memories- at least not anymore.

"So, did you have any breakthroughs?" Percy asked, breaking Nico's train of thought. He'd almost forgotten what they'd been talking about.

"Not really," Nico replied, with a small laugh. It really was remarkable, Percy thought, that despite their situation, he'd seen Nico laugh more here in the loop, than he ever had before. He honestly wasn't sure what to make of it. But he decided that he liked seeing Nico laugh, it was a good look for him.

Something in Nico's voice told Percy that he wasn't being completely truthful. He was a smart guy, smarter than Percy, that's for sure. He'd probably been out here for hours, just thinking about things. It was pretty unlikely that he hadn't come to some sort of conclusion. Percy only hoped it was the same one he'd come to.

He couldn't just come out and tell Nico about his plan; if Cupid heard, he definitely wouldn't fall for it. So, Percy had no choice but to just give his plan a try and hope that Nico understood.

Percy just sat there, letting the silence fall between them- aside from the birds playfully singing in the distance. He was surprised by how comfortable this particular silence was. He and Nico's relationship had always been a little strained, especially in recent history. But something happened in the pool last night, something that Percy couldn't place. Maybe it was some sort of unspoken understanding- Percy could see now that he and the son of Hades weren't quite as different as they seemed.

 _'Well,'_ Percy thought, _'I guess now's as good a time as any to give this a shot.'_ He took a deep breath and crossed his arms over the table between them.

"You know, I had a lot of fun last night," Percy began. It wasn't a lie. Actually, he'd had more fun with Nico in the pool than he'd had in a _very_ long time. Nico allowed himself the slightest grin.

"Me too," he said, softly. He turned his eyes to the bright purple flowers blooming beside him.

"We should do stuff like that more often. . . you know, when we get out of here," Percy replied, with a big grin. Nico grimaced for just a moment. As amazing as last night had been, Nico couldn't make a habit out of having that much fun with Percy. It hurt too much. ' _But why should it hurt so much still if my feelings for Percy are gone?'_ He shook those thoughts away, they were too much to handle right now.

"Yeah," he said, solemnly. Percy could tell the conversation was already taking a turn for the worse. But he was determined to make some strides with his plan.

"You know what, let's do something fun today," Percy insisted, once again grinning from ear to ear. Nico just stared at him, confusion painting his soft features.

"I thought we were going to figure out a way out of here today," the ghostly demigod replied. Percy's heart sank a little. He was almost certain that Nico had been thinking the same thing he was- that if this was Cupid's doing, the only way he might allow them to leave is if he believed they were in love. But now he wasn't so sure. And he definitely didn't want to hurt Nico. . . again. But he was kind of pressed for options.

"We've been stuck here for about a week. We've scoured this whole neighborhood for a way out. Apparently, we're not going anywhere anytime soon. We have plenty of time to think of a way out of here. It couldn't hurt to have a little bit of fun," Percy concluded, winking at his companion, in hopes that he'd understand that he had a plan.

At first, Nico seemed confused. Percy darted his eyes around the yard, as if to imply someone was listening to them. Nico's bewilderment was replaced with understanding. Clearly, Percy was up to something. The best thing he could think to do was just play along. Percy had a talent for coming up with crazy ideas, but more often than not they seemed to work. Nico had learned to trust in Percy's madness. He couldn't help but feel a little hollow inside though, knowing that Percy was just saying these things for the sake of a plan. He didn't mean them- of course not, why would he?

"Okay, what did you have in mind?" Nico relented. He wasn't going to complain, he did love spending time with Percy. Well, he loved it and hated it at the same time. But right now, he didn't really care if he'd regret it later. Maybe, just maybe, he could have one more happy memory to add to his growing collection. Even if it was all pretend.

"Let's keep it simple, how about some TV and snacks?" Percy said. His sea-green eyes glistened in the sunlight, shimmering with a sort of playfulness that Nico couldn't help but swoon over. He had to force himself to look away from those hypnotizing oceans.

"Sure, that sounds kind of cool," the son of Hades shrugged. The two of them got up and headed inside. Percy immediately began rummaging through the cupboards, noting that they seemed to be stocked with various foods that weren't there the day before. Which told him that they were definitely being monitored by someone.

He grabbed a big bag of barbecue potato chips and poured them into a large, blue bowl. Snacks in hand, he rushed over to the couch and leaped onto it, spilling a few chips in the process, which he promptly picked up and munched on.

He noticed Nico, still standing awkwardly in the living room doorway, and patted the cushion next to him- signaling for his creepy friend to take a seat. Nico obliged and sat cross legged on the sofa, the bowl of potato chips was the only thing between him and the aquatic demigod beside him.

Percy grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. It was still kind of early in the afternoon, so he was met with some of the worst programs on the face of the planet- nothing but daytime talk shows, soap operas, depressing news stories, and douchey reality shows, all of which turned Percy's stomach just a little bit.

Eventually though, after flicking through about fourty channels, he happened upon a show he recognized- and one that he (maybe unfairly) assumed Nico would like; The Walking Dead. He wasn't that well acquainted with the show, and he hadn't seen it in years, but he remembered that he enjoyed what he had seen of it.

"Are you interested in watching people argue like toddlers and occasionally smash a zombie's skull to pieces?" Percy asked his friend.

"I would very much enjoy that, yes," Nico replied, already feeling better about this whole scenario, even though he knew he shouldn't.

The two boys sat there, completely immersed in the show, for hours. Percy was so caught up in the program that he'd almost forgotten he was supposed to be convincing Cupid he was falling in love. Against his better judgment, the son of Poseidon decided to try a move that always seemed to work in those cheesy romance movies.

He waited until Nico reached into the bowl to grab a chip. He tried to make it look as natural as he could, when he placed his hand atop his companion's, as though he was just trying to get a chip. He felt Nico's hand flinch at the contact. His skin was so cold, Percy had to briefly question whether or not Nico was a zombie himself.

"Oh, sorry about that," Percy said, softly, pulling his hand away. He kept his piercing green eyes fixed on Nico's, trying not to think about the very real butterflies in his stomach; especially when he noticed the light dusting of pink that decorated Nico's cheeks.

"It's fine," Nico insisted, once again averting his gaze from Percy. The older demigod was a bit surprised, he'd never known Nico to be shy. Evasive, sure. But not shy. Nico always spoke his mind and he was never afraid to look you in the eye when he had something to say to you. At least, that's the Nico Percy knew. This side of him was something the son of Poseidon wouldn't have expected.

They carried on, watching a few more episodes of the show. They found it more amusing than scary or provocative. They cracked jokes about the various dumb decisions the characters made and their frustratingly inconsistent behavior. They also had a laugh about the very distinct lack of zombies for a show supposedly about zombies.

Percy noticed that he had, at some point during their marathon, knocked the empty bowl onto the floor and was now sitting significantly closer to Nico. He shrugged it off. It could only make this whole plan more convincing. Granted, he wasn't sure when it had happened or why he had subconsciously scooted closer to his friend. But it didn't matter.

By the time the network stopped playing the show, it was dark outside. Percy couldn't believe he'd actually managed to sit in front of the TV for a whole afternoon. TV was never able to hold his attention for too long- nothing really was, except maybe monster fights. He'd not only watched TV all day, but he'd enjoyed it. Nico seemed to be having a really great time too.

With nothing else of interest on the channel, Percy grabbed the remote and began flipping through the stations once again. Now, it was late in the evening- which meant that the programs were still garbage, just a different variety of garbage- infomercials, late night talk shows, toilet humor cartoons (okay, honestly those were actually pretty funny). Percy passed a classic movie channel, playing some sort of musical in black and white.

"Wait, go back," Nico said, leaning closer to the TV. Percy flipped the channel back. He recognized the guy on the screen- everybody knew about that gaudy drawn-on mustache. It was some old Marx brothers flick- which one, Percy wasn't sure. Nico let out a little disbelieving scoff.

"I think I remember this film," he said finally.

"You remember it? You mean, from when you were younger?" Percy asked. He was a little distracted by the fact that Nico had used the word "film." It was really easy to forget that the younger demigod wasn't from this era. He'd adapted himself so well to the new millennium, Percy often forgot that he was born well over seventy years ago. It was truly impressive.

"Yeah. I saw it when I was maybe six or seven," the son of Hades replied, slightly lost in the movie. Percy stared at the monotone picture, struck by the fact that it was new the first time Nico saw it. He kept his eyes fixed on the screen, taking in how dated it was. How different it was from what he was used to.

How did Nico do it? How could he just find himself in a new world- almost completely different from the one he knew, and just be okay? Everything had changed so much. Most of the people from his time were gone now, including his own family. The whole world had evolved so much. Hazel was the only other person who understood what that was like.

It seemed like every day Percy spent with Nico, the more he appreciated him. He was beginning to understand his struggles, the way his mind worked. He was almost positive now that, out of all of the demigods he knew, Nico was by far in the way the strongest. Maybe not his powers, but his strength of will was almost inhuman. His resilience bordered on godly. Actually, it surpassed the gods- because Percy had never actually known the gods to be particularly resilient.

He smiled down at Nico, full of admiration. His companion was scrunched up on the couch, his knees tucked under his chin- his dark eyes reflecting the glow of the TV. Percy turned his attention back to the movie, but found (after only a few minutes) that it couldn't hold his attention. After about a half hour, he was fast asleep on the sofa. Nico quietly sat through the film, trying to piece together any remnants of his past- long forgotten from his bath in the Lethe.

Eventually, he gave up on that and just immersed himself in the silly story. He made it through half of the film that followed, even though he didn't recognize that one. Until he felt sleep overcoming him as well. He closed his eyes and was asleep within minutes.

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 **A/N:** Well, that's all for this chapter. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it!

 **Notice:** There will not be an update next week. Nor will I be able to get back to writing any more chapters until after the holidays are over. Expect chapter 9 to be up sometime in early January. I apologize for delay, but I have many other obligations to worry about. I hope to see you all again in January.


	9. The Plan- Phase Two

**A/N:** Aaand, I'm back. Sorry for the wait. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! On to chapter nine! A big thank you to all those who left a review on the last chapter! It's always hugely appreciated!

 **Warnings:** None for this chapter

* * *

 _Percy was standing on a hill. Half-blood hill back at camp, he noted- staring out at Long Island Sound as the blazing copper sun began to set over the water. He never got tired of watching the sunsets at Camp Half-Blood. It had a way of calming him like noting else could, just listening to the sounds of his fellow campers scuttling about, in preparation for the evening festivities. Taking in the salty ocean breeze and watching the color of the water shift as the sky faded from blue, to pink, to orange._

 _There was something different about it though, something different about him. . . something he couldn't place. He could hear Travis Stoll shouting at his brother from across the mess hall- Percy honestly couldn't distinguish what he was saying, but it didn't sound particularly important._

" _Hey, there you are. I've been looking all over for you," Percy heard a familiar voice chirp behind him. It was Nico. Percy turned toward him, a big smile on his face. "Guess I should have figured you'd be out here. As a general rule of thumb; Percy's missing, check by the water," Nico joked, sitting down in the grass beside the older demigod._

 _Instinctively, Percy wrapped his arm around Nico's shoulder and pulled him closer. He was surprised by how naturally Nico snuggled into him- as if the two of them had sat in this exact spot and cuddled like this a million times._

 _He quickly shook off his confusion- of course they had cuddled like this before- they were dating, after all. Why wouldn't they? Percy moved his arm further down, until it was firmly wrapped around his boyfriend's waist._

" _How was training today?" Percy asked. Chiron had asked some of the more seasoned fighters to volunteer to train some of the newer campers. Most of them agreed, including both Percy and Nico. They gave their time to training whenever they could spare it. Nico actually enjoyed helping out the younger demigods, so he was out there most days._

" _It went surprisingly well, Benny didn't accidentally bury us in sunflowers again, so that's a plus," Nico replied. Percy chuckled and rested his head against Nico's._

 _Even through the very potent aroma of the ocean and the strawberry fields wafting in the evening breeze, Percy could still pick out the scent of Nico's hair. It wasn't an altogether pleasant smell-that of pomegranate shampoo and the smallest hints of stale death. . . it was an interesting concoction of fragrances. But it was one that Percy had grown very fond of._

 _He took a deep breath, inhaling his boyfriend's essence like it was the last breath he would ever take. Then he planted a firm kiss on the top of the younger demigod's head, his boyfriend's feathery, raven hair tickling his nose as he did so._

Percy's eyes fluttered open, as he tried to focus on where he was. It took him a moment to remember that he wasn't back at Camp Half-Blood. And that the smaller demigod leaning against his shoulder, fast asleep was not his boyfriend.

' _What the in the actual Hades was that dream about?'_ Percy thought, still in a haze. He remembered where he was now. He also remembered what he was trying to do. And even more puzzling, was that he remembered the last two nights and how amazing they had been.

He looked down at Nico, who was still sound asleep against Percy's shoulder, looking for all the world like the angel his name suggested he was. Time seemed to slow, as Percy kept his eyes locked on Nico's sleeping form. He was transfixed, remembering his strange dream.

It made him uncomfortable, thinking about how he felt in the dream- it was different from anything that he'd ever felt with Annabeth. If he had to describe it in one word, he would most likely say it felt "easy."

Nothing was ever easy with Annabeth. Nothing was ever comfortable. It was like walking on eggshells almost every single time he spoke to her. And it had only gotten worse since the prophesies ended. Now, it was almost like his very existence irked her. Like she was looking to argue about something.

But it had never been easy with her. Not even before they started seeing one another. He always said or did something wrong. Nothing was ever her fault. Everything had to be exactly as she saw it in her head and anything else was unacceptable. As much as Percy loved her- even he knew that wasn't the way relationships were supposed to work. And he really didn't appreciate being a whipping boy. Not many people would- hero or not.

His dream only made him remember the last two days with Nico. They had been easy- even though the two of them had been thrust into an endlessly frustrating situation and they had a very muddy past together. . . it was still easy. Percy could be himself around Nico. He could say what he was thinking, no matter how stupid it was, and Nico would just accept it. No arguing. No belittling. It was something Percy wasn't used to, but he liked it. He liked it a whole lot.

' _But that's just how most relationships are,'_ Percy thought, _'sometimes guys just need some guy time. Of course Nico gets it, he's a guy.'_ Even Percy knew that was a ridiculous conclusion, but he forced himself to believe it. This whole thing with Cupid was an act- Percy couldn't let any of it go to his head. That would only make things worse for everyone.

He gently slid Nico over, so he was lying on the other side of the sofa, his head cradled by the arm rest. Percy took the throw blanket and covered him up, even though he wasn't sure if the guy ever even got cold. After he was sure Nico was comfortable, he made his way to the kitchen and got started on breakfast.

About a half an hour later, Nico awoke to the smell of something sweet. He uncovered himself and glanced around the room. The TV was still on, and still playing old black and white movies. He noticed that Percy was gone, but assumed that the sweet smell in the air was his doing.

Before he could even get off of the sofa, Percy came into the living room, whistling a very cheerful tune, with a tray of food in his hands.

"Ah, you're awake. Good," the son of Poseidon announced, setting the tray down on Nico's lap. "Breakfast in bed, for the unseen hero of Olympus." Nico looked down at the tray, on which sat a plate with a mountain of waffles, a stick of butter, a bottle of maple syrup, and a tall glass of orange juice. It smelled delicious and Nico was insanely hungry. But the way Percy was behaving didn't feel right to him. He had to wonder just what his crazy, aquatic friend was up to.

Percy retreated back into the kitchen with a grin, presumably to get his own food. Leaving Nico to ponder what Percy's plan might be. Honestly, he hadn't really thought about it too much yesterday. A big part of him didn't even really care what the plan was, as long as it actually worked. But now he found himself overcome with curiosity.

It was obvious Percy was trying to bond with him. . . to what end, Nico wasn't sure. Maybe he was trying to convince Cupid they were friends. No, that didn't make any sense, why would Cupid care about something as trivial as that?

The sobering reality hit Nico like a ton of bricks; Percy was trying to convince Cupid that they were in love. Or at least convince him that they were falling in love. Either way, this plan filled Nico with dread. It wasn't a bad plan- if this was Cupid he probably did want to complicate things for everyone. But pretending to be in love. . . that was going a little too far.

Besides, it would be pretty hard to convince a love god that there's love where there isn't any. . .which there isn't. For either of them. . .

" _I'm not in love with Percy, Will,"_ Nico heard himself say in his head.

" _You really are. Your heart hasn't been in this relationship since the moment we started it. It took me a while to understand why. But I do now. And I'm honestly sick of competing with the untouchable son of Poseidon,"_ Will's words echoed in Nico's mind. Will had been so sure Nico's heart was closed to him. And maybe, looking back on it, Nico could see he may have been right.

After the defeat of Gaea, Nico had been sure he was ready to move on. He'd convinced himself of it. He decided it was time to let Percy go and move on- that his whole life wasn't going to be dominated by an unrequited love.

So he did what he had to do and he let Percy go. Or at least he thought he had. . . but maybe he was lying to himself. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time. Nico made a habit of lying to himself. It was the only way he knew to keep himself alive. He'd lied to himself for years about how he felt for Percy. He told himself he hated him- that he didn't matter to him. Now he understood that Percy meant the world to him- literally. Nico would have been willing to sacrifice his entire world for Percy. And he never would have thought twice about doing it.

As he sat there, trying to choke down his soggy waffles, he internally kicked himself. ' _I'm such an idiot. Feelings like that don't just go away because you want them to. . . You can't force yourself to stop loving someone,'_ he thought, almost laughing at how ridiculous it was that he ever believed he had stopped loving Percy.

But if Percy was going to do this, Nico knew he had to meet him halfway. They would have to find a way out of this place somehow. This plan, as reckless as it might have been, was certainly worth a try. The only real problem with it was that Nico knew if he had the chance to feel what it was like to be loved by Percy and then he had to lose it, something in his heart would break forever. But he never really cared that much about his own feelings. At least not when Percy needed him- that was the one thing he could never resist.

Percy came back into the room, a plate of waffles in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other, grinning from ear to ear. Nico pushed the dark thoughts from his mind and tried for a smile, even though he knew that his crooked smiles never really looked that genuine. No matter what he did, he always looked guilty or nervous when he smiled. Percy sat down beside him and began pouring a gallon of syrup on his toasted treat.

As usual, they ate in comfortable silence. After which, Nico offered to clean up. Percy decided to help him, even though there wasn't much to clean. He was anxious to finish breakfast- there were things he wanted to do. Honestly, he was really excited.

After they had cleaned and dried the dishes, Percy ran over to the door and grabbed two jackets- one of which he put on himself and the other he handed to Nico.

"What's this for?" the younger demigod asked, taking the jacket.

"You'll see. C'mon, get your shoes on. I wanna show you something," Percy replied, eagerly. Nico complied, a little thrilled by his companion's enthusiasm.

They walked down the street, side by side. Nico noted they were heading to the part of the loop Percy had been searching- he'd never even seen it, but he'd assumed it was all more or less the same.

"I didn't get much of a chance to enjoy this place- I was a little too busy searching," Percy announced. They only walked a couple more blocks before coming to something Nico hadn't been expecting to see in the middle of a suburb; a park. Not a little playground- but a big green field, decorated with red brick sidewalks, lined with lush gardens and hedges. Smack dab in the center was a beautiful pond- a huge one, maybe about 4,000 square feet or so. It was shimmering in the early afternoon sun, beams of light reflecting off the big spewing fountain in the middle. Ducks were splashing around on the shore, dipping their iridescent green heads into the water.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the son of Poseidon asked, admiring the view.

"Yeah, it is," Nico replied. All the plush green grass reminded him of Tuscany, a region of his birth Country he only vaguely remembered from his childhood. He knew he'd been there before. He recalled the green and golden rolling hills and the rows of grapevines and olive trees.

"This is the best part though," Percy said, taking Nico by the hand and leading him to the other side of the pond. It had been hidden behind from his field of view by the fountain, but he could now see what Percy was so excited about; a rowboat. It was just nestled into the dirt along the shore of the pond, the oars resting inside.

Percy began to push the boat into the water- with his hands, Nico noted. He had to take a moment to admire the fact that he could have used his powers to pull the boat into the water, but he didn't. Sometimes, Percy preferred to do things by hand, and that was incredibly attractive, Nico thought.

A couple minutes later, the two of them were floating in a rowboat on a little pond, trying to avoid pissing off the ducks. Despite that, it was oddly romantic; how the summer sun bounced off of Percy's tanned skin and the way the water seemed to make Nico's deep brown eyes sparkle.

Percy's A.D.D. got the better of him when his mind just started thinking of that scene with the rowboat in _The Little Mermaid._ And just like that, he had "Kiss the Girl" stuck in his head. He tried not to laugh, that would definitely ruin the mood. So would a bunch of singing fish, spewing water at them. He never understood how that scene was meant to be romantic.

"This is nice," he finally said, trying to push the animated feature from his mind. Nico nodded, a little distracted by the way Percy's shoulders tightened each time he rowed the oars.

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm not used to being out in the sun that much," Nico said.

"You should get out more. It's good for you, a lot better than spending all your time in the stuffy Underworld, that's for sure," Percy replied, just letting the rowboat drift on its own.

"Maybe. I haven't been back to the Underworld since. . . in a long time," Nico stammered. The subject of Tartarus hung in the air between them- neither of them wanting to bring it up. Percy had a pretty good idea that Nico was about to say he hadn't gone back since he returned from Tartarus. . . and Percy definitely wouldn't blame him. That place was far worse than any nightmare Percy could dream up. He certainly didn't want to go anywhere near it ever again.

"Well, when we get back home, we're gonna do stuff like this more often. You're going to finally get some much needed sunlight, Mr. Cullen," Percy joked. Nico scowled.

"Please tell me you didn't just make a _Twilight_ reference. . ." the ghoulish demigod said.

"I blanked. What are you gonna do about it?" Percy teased, not paying much attention to the orientation of the rowboat.

"I'm going to silently judge you and pray to the gods to have mercy on you and your future children," Nico replied, arching one thick eyebrow at the captain.

"Harsh. . . but fair," Percy managed to say- before the two of them were doused with water from the fountain. They had been drifting right toward it, but neither of them had noticed until it was too late. They both shrieked in surprise as the frigid pond water washed over them.

Percy desperately rowed the boat forward, until it was no longer under the fountain. Much like they had in the pool after their water fight, the two of them busted out laughing- this time, mostly out of shock. Percy used his powers to push the boat back to the shore, where they got back on dry land, still laughing and trying to shake themselves dry.

"Here, let me take care of this," Percy insisted, stretching out his arm toward Nico and pulling the water off of him. The son of Hades had never actually experienced Percy's quick drying powers firsthand- it was an odd sensation. But no more odd than shadow travel, so he could deal with it.

"Sorry about that," Percy said, drying himself as well, then directing all the water he had collected back to the pond. It was a little disgraceful that he, of all people, would make such a mistake. He always knew where he was in the water- even when he wasn't paying attention. He was surprised by how unaware of the fountain he had been- all he had been doing was goofing off.

"It's fine," Nico replied, still fighting off his laughter. He figured Percy probably felt like a doofus, having messed up like that- the guy could help guide a giant Greek trireme across the Atlantic but he couldn't handle a rowboat in a pond- it was a little sad.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Nico's head. A memory that he thought he'd lost a long time ago. He wanted to change the subject, if only to make Percy feel a little better. So, he decided to take a chance.

"Well, the afternoon is still young. Maybe we could cloud-watch," the younger man suggested, his eyebrows furrowed. Percy stared at him, bewildered. "You know, stare at the clouds, figure out what they look like, maybe make up stories about them? You've never done that?"

"I'm from New York, Nico. We don't look up at the clouds much, too many skyscrapers in the way," Percy explained. Maybe other kids tried games like that in New York, but he never had the time to. He wasn't even sure if he had the attention span for a game like that, it sounded a little boring.

"Oh. Well, I used to do it all the time when I was a kid. We traveled a lot, so I didn't always have much to do. Come on, give it a try," Nico confessed, lying down in the soft green grass. Percy shrugged and laid down beside him, turning his attention toward the big open sky.

"Okay, how do we play? You start," Percy said. Nico sighed and sat there, saying nothing for a minute or so. Just watching the clouds scroll across the sky. Finally, he spoke.

"Okay, see that one, right there?" he began, pointing to a particularly puffy cumulus cloud. He's a sugar glider. His name is Pierre." Percy kind of saw the sugar glider qualities of the cloud in question, but he remained silent and listened as Nico continued. "Pierre used to be human. He worked as a lumberjack. He kept to himself most of the time, because he had a pretty nasty upbringing and people just made him uncomfortable. He was happiest among the trees. But one day, he was foraging for food and he found some mushrooms growing in a glade. He recognized them and knew they were edible, so he pick a few and ate them," Nico explained, pointing at another cloud beside the sugar glider, which did actually look like a mushroom.

"As it so happened, those were magic mushrooms, that an enchantress had been growing for a spell. Pierre got very sick. Then, a few days later, the enchantress came to his hut in the woods. She told him that the mushrooms would suck the life right out of him by the weeks end. He cried and begged the enchantress to help him. She pitied the poor man, but she also thought he deserved punishment for eating the last of her magic mushrooms. So, she asked him once more if he wanted to live and if he would be willing to accept the price. He said he he would. She raised her magic staff and POOF, Pierre turned into a little furry rodent. Now, Pierre, the sugar glider scurries around the forest, cursed to eat mushrooms for the rest of his days," Nico concluded. Percy turned his head to stare at him with bemusement.

"That's it? That's how the story of Pierre the sugar glider ends?" he asked, holding back laughter. Nico turned to him and nodded.

"That's it. Pretty messed up, huh? Even lumberjacks can't catch a break from magic," the son of Hades said, completely deadpan. Percy lost it. He busted out laughing, not sure whether or not Nico was actually being serious or if he was just messing with him. He finally understood it was a joke when he opened his eyes and saw Nico smiling.

Nico decided he loved making Percy laugh. All he was ever able to do before was make him angry. This was a nice change of pace.

"Your turn," the dark demigod insisted, looking back up at the sky. Percy did the same, his laughter dying down. He had no idea where to begin. He'd never been the most creative person. In fact, one time, his English teacher asked him to write a short story about one of the side characters from _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_ and he totally flunked it. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he'd chosen Mr. Tumnas, the faun, mostly because he'd only read the first couple chapters and that was the only side character he knew. He'd gotten most of the details about him and his home wrong- not to mention his spelling was atrocious. Dyslexia will do that.

Still, he stared at the sky, trying to find inspiration somewhere. He knew he wouldn't come up with anything as elaborate as the story Nico told, but he was willing to give it a shot.

"Okay. That one right there," he began, leaning closer to Nico so the younger demigod could see exactly where he was pointing. "That one is Stella the snail. She's just a snail, but she's a cool snail. . .like, all the other snail ladies look up to her and stuff," Percy stammered, not sure where he was going with this.

"So, is she a nice snail?" Nico asked, trying to help him out a little.

"For sure. That's why she's so popular, 'cause in the snail world respect and a positive attitude is what wins you the popularity points," the son of Poseidon confirmed.

"Sound like the snail world is a pretty nice place to be," Nico replied, realizing that his face was so close to Percy's now, that if he turned his head, their noses would be touching. His heart began to pound in his ears. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. But he was having too much fun to pull away.

"It is. But it's not reserved for the snails. See that, next to her? That's Harriet, the butterfly. They're best friends, even though they aren't even part of the same species," Percy concluded. It wasn't a story, as much as it was just a personal profile of a snail and a butterfly. Still, he was proud of himself for even getting that far. And even more surprisingly, he had fun. He had fun looking at clouds. That was something he never thought he'd be able to say.

Now that he wasn't so focused on the clouds and their stories, he finally took note of how close he was to his friend. He could almost hear his shallow intakes of breath.

Despite his better judgment, Percy moved his hand over Nico's. Disturbingly, he hadn't even been thinking about the plan. . . at least not until after he'd already interlaced his fingers with the smaller demigod's.

Nico jolted a little, unused to being touched so freely. In truth, he hadn't expected Percy to go so far with this ruse. If he was willing to hold Nico's hand, what else was he planning to do just to sell this charade. It was almost too much for the pallid boy to think about.

He looked into Percy's eyes, fighting back the pain, and managed a smile. This all felt far too good. . . so good, that Nico knew he'd never be able to forget it. No matter what, he was doomed to be heartbroken. _'Story of my life,'_ he thought, bitterly, remembering the last time he and Percy were lying in the grass, holding hands.

Percy didn't exactly want to let go, which was a little unsettling to him on its own. But he decided he should pull back, fearing he was crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed. He retracted his hand, feeling a little awkward.

"Sorry," he muttered, as he sat up. Nico followed.

"I. . . it's okay. . . why did you. . . never mind. We should head back to the house," Nico stammered, getting to his feet. He offered his hand to help Percy up, which the aquatic demigod took.

"Sure," Percy agreed, dusting the grass and dirt from his jeans. The walk home was quiet, save for the birds chirping happily above them. The moment they walked in the door, Nico announced that he would make dinner.

Once they'd eaten, Percy flipped on the TV and they watched terrible game shows for the rest of the night, a questionable feeling lingering on both of their minds.

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 **A/N:** Well, that's all for this chapter. Thanks so much for reading! Please review & favourite if you enjoyed it!


	10. Out of the Loop

**A/N:** Hello there, fellow demis! A big thank you to all those who left a review on the last chapter! It's always hugely appreciated! On to chapter ten!

 **Warnings:** Some language

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The incident at the pond had left both of the demigods with a strange feeling. Percy was most disturbed by the fact that he didn't even think about holding Nico's hand before he did it. The dream he'd had that morning must have really messed with his head. The worst part, was that he couldn't shake it. The warm feeling that stirred in his stomach whenever he thought about how happy he'd been in his dream was like a persistent itch that a big part of him wanted to scratch. He just knew he wasn't supposed to.

It didn't take Nico very long to bury his fears about Percy's intentions. The following morning, he was ready to move on with the plan- consequences be damned. His heart was tired. . . at this point, he desperately wanted to get away from Percy, if only to give it a rest. If he had to break his own heart to get out of this stupid loop, he'd gladly do it. As it turned out, having good memories of Percy was even harder than having bad ones.

Two days had passed. They'd been keeping themselves busy by playing video games (which Percy had found in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and completely owned. Nico cited that he wasn't super familiar with technology, but Percy still considered it a triumphant victory.), playing poker (which helped Nico earn back his dignity, after he completely whooped Percy's very attractive ass. He had spent a lot of time watching tournaments at the Lotus Casino.), and laughing, like the teenagers they were, at the TV.

This particular morning saw the two of them eating toast and eggs, while watching a myriad of old game show reruns. They had begun their marathon with some old _Family Feud_ episodes- but by the time they'd finished breakfast, the network had switched over to _The Price is Right._

It had been about five days since Percy had started this plan. Since then, the two of them had bonded more than Percy ever thought possible for them. Much more than he'd ever intended to. If _he_ was starting to question his own feelings for the son of Hades- surely Cupid would believe their little ruse. It was time to execute the last stage of the plan.

The older demigod reached over and gently placed his hand atop Nico's, just as he'd done at the pond. It hadn't gone over that well the first time, but he was hoping that it would be a little less jarring to his friend- especially once he started talking.

Nico did jolt slightly at the contact, but he kept his head and his heart steady. He glanced over at Percy, his eyes questioning. When he saw the confidence in the taller boy's face, he had a feeling he was going to need to brace himself. This was about to get painful.

"Percy?" the son of Hades inquired when his companion failed to explain what he was doing. Percy looked away briefly, pondering exactly what he wanted to say. It was kind of stupid of him to not have thought about that beforehand. . . but he rarely ever did think things through. Finally, it came to him and he turned his brilliant green eyes back to Nico, clasping his hand just the slightest bit tighter.

"Nico, I. . ." the demigod stammered. He knew what he wanted to say, but getting it out was a whole other story. This wasn't a game. It was something that could potentially really hurt them. . . Nico especially. And that was the last thing Percy wanted to do. He had to be delicate about how he approached this. But he knew there _was_ no delicate way to pretend you're in love with someone. Either way, this was bound to end badly.

"I've had a really great time with you. . . you know, the last few days," he finally managed to say. Nico's doe eyes glistened in the early morning sunlight, beaming in through the windows- making Percy's heart ache.

"Yeah, you too," Nico agreed, glancing down at their joined hands, then back up at Percy with a confused furrow in his brow. Percy took a deep breath and continued down his path of destruction.

"There's some things I've been wanting to say. . . that I just kept avoiding- because I was afraid to bring them up. But things are different now. . . with us," Percy confessed. None of what he was about to say was a lie, but he still felt like it was too little, too late. Nico's doubtful expression made Percy think that the younger demigod wouldn't believe him anyway- and maybe that was for the best.

"Nico. . . I know it's a little late for apologies, but I need you to know that I really am sorry. . . for everything. But mostly, I'm sorry I never gave you much of a chance before now," Percy said, interlacing his fingers with Nico's. "I was so caught up in everything else, I never even considered that maybe you and I weren't that different. I never took the time to get to know you, and that was a mistake. You're. . . you're a great person, Nico.

The son of Hades tried to keep his breathing steady. This was all part of the plan. . . nothing more. He had to tell himself that Percy didn't mean it. The less attached he got to his four year obsession, the better. He was finally starting to get over Percy. . . at least a little bit. Now, he was worse off than when he started- and it only took a couple weeks.

"Percy. . . I-" Nico began, but Percy squeezed his hand and cut him off.

"I know this is kind of weird, but I need to get this out," the son of Poseidon began. This next part was where things would get really uncomfortable- for both of them. What he was about to confess wasn't going to be easy, but it was necessary.

"I haven't told anyone about this, but. . . things haven't been going great with me and Annabeth," Percy admitted, sadly. Nico saw the distant look in his eyes and knew he wasn't lying- which made him subconsciously grip his friend's hand in an attempt to comfort him. "She's buried herself in her work. She barely ever even talks to me anymore. I feel like. . . I don't know, like we've gone different ways. She has Olympus and I have. . . well, nothing," he added.

He felt like a royal ass for complaining about having nothing to someone like Nico; who actually had nothing. He'd lost his entire family, he lost all of his childhood memories, and he spent most of his time with the dead. If that wasn't the epitome of "nothing," Percy wasn't sure what was. Percy did have things to be grateful for; he had a great family, bountiful friendships, and a relationship with someone he truly loved- as flawed as it was. All the same, he was unhappy. He wanted something more- something he thought he had, that he was only now beginning to realize he never had at all.

"That's. . . I'm sorry, Percy," Nico said, sadly. Percy was a little shocked to see the sympathy in Nico's eyes. He really was sorry for him, despite everything that had gone wrong between them. Percy felt the courage to confess all the things he'd been thinking about rising in his chest. He'd been so afraid to confront his feelings- mostly because he was afraid of things changing. But the firm grip of Nico's hand in his made him feel, for once, like it was okay for things to change.

"I. . . I need more than what she gives me, you know? I just want to be with someone who is there when I need them. Is that asking too much?" he added, almost sarcastically.

"Of course not," Nico affirmed, shaking his head. He was wildly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken. To know that Percy and Annabeth were having relationship troubles was perhaps one of the only things that could have made this situation any worse. He needed to get out of this loop. . . fast. The more distance he could put between himself and Percy, the better.

"Sorry to say, Percy, but Annabeth's insane," Nico began, unsure if he was being convincing at all. It was way more forward than he was comfortable with, but he needed to move this along. "Do you have any idea how many people want to be where she is? You're a legend among the demigods, tons of girls would kill to be with you," the pasty teen said. He really didn't want to acknowledge the homosexual elephant in the room, but they'd get nowhere if he didn't. He glanced at the floor, trying desperately to avoid eye contact with his crush.

"And at least one guy too. . ." he muttered just loud enough for Percy to hear. He glanced back up at his tanned friend, to see a glimmer of fondness and mild surprise in his sea-green eyes.

"You think so?" Percy asked, a little self-consciously. He knew Nico was right; he was really popular with the girls at camp. Not because they actually liked him. . . or even really knew him. But because he was a hero. And heroes always got the girls. It was kind of cool, being so popular all of the sudden. But it was also a little too superficial for Percy's taste. Who needed empty attention? What good was it?

"Uhm. . . yeah," Nico said, rolling his eyes. "It's pretty insane of Annabeth to leave you alone, even for a minute. I know I wouldn't if I were her," he added, a deep flush painting his ghostly cheeks. He hated saying something like that aloud. He'd only just accepted the fact that he still cared for Percy. He wasn't very keen on acting like a stalker so soon. But again, he wanted to move this plan along. Cupid would never believe they had feelings for one another if all they did was watch TV. They were going to have to step it up a notch.

Percy stared at Nico, a million thoughts racing through his brain. At this point, Percy was sure Nico knew this whole thing was an act. Yet, the way the younger demigod's soft brown eyes bore into Percy's, the son of Poseidon couldn't help but feel that his companion's words were completely genuine. Just the thought was enough to put a huge, warm smile on Percy's face. Nico stared into the older boy's eyes, looking for a sign of where his head was at. He didn't want to get lost in those deep oceans, but get lost he did.

Nico had to shake himself out of his trance, which proved to be difficult. But he eventually managed. Percy just kept his gaze on the son of Hades, his smile never faltering.

"This. . . uhm. . . we should maybe start thinking of a way out of here," Nico finally said. He figured Cupid wouldn't believe them if they got too mushy. Cupid's version of love was gritty; full of uncertainty and doubt. So it was probably okay to get cold feet. "We've wasted enough time goofing off, don't you think? We can't really afford to entertain these crazy notions," he concluded. Percy's smile faded.

"Maybe not. But I have some things to think about when we do make it home. . ." Percy admits. He gathered his courage and braced himself for the awkward. "Nico. . . I have a pretty serious question to ask," he said, placing his free hand atop their interlocked fingers. His ghoulish friend seemed to understand that he was about to drop a bomb, by the way his hand tensed and his chest heaved.

"What?" the son of Hades asked.

"It's like I said; I have some things to think about when I get home. . . but I need to know. Would you. . ." the aquatic demigod halted, really unsure how to proceed with his sentence. "Would you have me. . . if I changed my mind about Annabeth?" he finally spat out. It hurt just saying it aloud. The notion of ever leaving Annabeth was almost too painful.

Nico gasped, taken completely off guard by the question. He knew it was all part of the plan, but gods be damned if he didn't wish it wasn't. He could feel his eyes beginning to sting, as the fantasy played out in his head; him and Percy, living in New Rome, snuggling on the couch. . . walking through the park. . . going to the movies. Both of them happier than ever. . .

In a world of gods and myths, it was sometimes hard to see the line between fiction and reality. But this. . . this future he saw- it wasn't real. It could never be real. And the more he thought about it, the more he hated himself for ever believing it.

Percy was still waiting for an answer. Nico had to force back the tears that threatened to fall, hoping that Percy hadn't seen his eyes welling. He sat there, in silence, for a moment- pretending to contemplate the question. It didn't matter what he said, only that it was believable.

". . . Wow, Percy. . . that's a pretty heavy thing to ask," he finally said, allowing himself to sound as shocked as he actually was. "I guess. . . well, I can't wait forever, Percy. But if I'm still waiting when you change your mind. . . I'll be there," he said with much difficulty.

Percy couldn't help but smile. He wasn't sure if Nico actually meant that, chances were he didn't. Not that it would matter anyway; Percy wasn't planning on actually changing his mind. But he still wondered what Nico would do if he did.

The two of them spent the remainder of the night discussing ways to get out of the loop. They tried to mention Cupid as little as possible, maybe make him think that they switched their suspicions to another god.

When it had finally gotten too late to keep up the farce, Percy took Nico by the hand once again- this time, Nico didn't flinch.

"Sleep next to me?" Percy asked, with a nervous smile. Nico felt his heart pounding in his ears. He wasn't sure he could handle having that wonderful memory for the rest of his life. . . but it would really help sell their ruse.

"What about keeping watch?" he asked. Percy laughed.

"We've been here for almost two weeks and nothing's happened. I'm pretty sure we're good," he insisted. It was never a good idea for a demigod to assume they were safe. . . but he was fairly confident they actually were. Cupid wanted to play mind games with them, not have monsters tear them to shreds.

"O-okay," Nico stammered. He gulped loudly, not meaning to. Percy grabbed one of the blankets and spread it out on the floor. He threw some pillows down and plopped onto his makeshift bed. He covered himself with another blanket and gestured for Nico to lie down beside him. The younger teen's legs felt like jelly, but he made his way over to Percy and nestled under the blanket, facing his friend.

Percy took his companion's hand, once again, and smiled. Maybe this all was an act, but it felt nice nonetheless. Before long, he was out like a light. It took Nico a little longer, but after another couple hours of thinking, he too felt himself dozing off.

* * *

From his balcony in Erebos, Hades sat at a small dining table, his niece; Athena, sitting opposite him. She hated visiting the underworld, but the two had been working together on a fairly important project, so it couldn't be helped.

"Hmm, I suppose the time has come to bring them home," Hades mused. Athena glanced at him, one fine eyebrow raised.

"Uncle, they are only pretending to be in love," she observed. "Shouldn't we wait just a bit longer?"

"I don't think that will be necessary," the lord of the Underworld said, "Their lies are already becoming the truth. Love has bitten them both, whether or not they realize it. I believe we've done what we set out to do," he concluded.

* * *

The following morning, Percy awoke to the smell of fresh strawberries and a fresh ocean breeze. Still groggy, he reached out for Nico, but there was no one beside him. He opened his eyes and sat bolt upright.

Summer sun was beaming off of the abalone walls of cabin three, casting rainbows around the room. Was he dreaming again? No, this wasn't a dream. He'd gotten pretty good at distinguishing dreams from the waking world. This was all far too real.

He grabbed his watch, which was thankfully right beside his bed, and checked the date. He let out a disbelieving groan when he saw that, what he thought had been about two weeks, had actually been about twelve hours. He tossed the watch aside and buried his face in his palms.

He was relieved to finally be out of the loop, but he was also exhausted. He was used to gods messing with his life- that was just something that was out of his hands. But never before had his emotions been so toyed with. . . so exploited. It was ire inducing. Or at least it would be, if he had the energy left to actually get angry.

He stopped feeling sorry for himself the moment he remembered Nico wasn't beside him. What if he was still in the loop- alone? Percy darted up from his bed and made a beeline straight for the first place he would presume to find Nico; cabin thirteen. He didn't even bother to wave at any of the other campers, who were all very confused to see Percy there.

He knocked on the big, crypt-like door of cabin thirteen, his heart racing. Inside, Nico stirred. It was so dark in the room, he assumed it must still be nighttime. But he recognized the sound of the heavy door- Jason was always knocking on it and bothering him.

The younger demigod jolted awake and tried to take in the sight of his cabin. It took him a moment to actually process the fact that he was out of the loop. Part of him wasn't even sure if the loop had been real. The knocking on the door persisted, so he stood and shuffled over to it.

Nico was blinded by the sunlight as he slid the door open. Then he was nearly suffocated by Percy, when the older boy latched onto him, hugging him tightly- grateful that he wasn't still stuck in the loop.

"I was worried you might not be here," Percy admitted, releasing a very startled Nico from his death grip.

"What day is it? How long were we in there?" Nico asked, still trying to process everything.

"According to my watch, about twelve hours," Percy informed. Nico scoffed- it was so like a god to mess with time. Well, silver lining, that meant none of their friends even knew they were gone. Which, of course, meant they wouldn't have to talk about it. They could just move on.

"Figures," Nico said. "So, I guess things can go back to normal now," he added, trying not to be too dismissive. If Cupid was still watching them- which was likely- then it would be a good idea not to let on that this had all been an act.

Percy felt his heart sink, though he wasn't sure why. He _was_ glad to be home. Right? So then, why did he feel so empty inside. The thought of having to go back to New Rome, of having to sleep alone, made his stomach turn.

"Yeah, I guess so," Percy agreed, a look of very clear disappointment in his eyes. Nico wasn't sure if it was genuine or if Percy was still trying to make Cupid think they were in love. Either way, it hurt to see him so miserable. A lot of things were aching inside Nico's chest- all the great memories they'd made in the loop stinging the ghostly demigod's heart.

"Well, I. . . uhm. . . I should be heading back to New Rome soon. I'll see you around, I guess," the son of Poseidon muttered, waving at his friend as he turned to leave.

"Yeah, see ya," Nico replied, his voice cracking just a little. He very rarely cried anymore- after all he'd been through, there wasn't much left worth crying about. But after he closed the door, tears fell from his eyes. He wiped his face when he felt them drip onto his cheeks, a little shocked to see them. He could tell from the hollow feeling in his chest, that he was broken. He had done everything he could think to do to keep himself from falling for Percy all over again. But he'd failed. Now that he was alone again- he knew he'd failed big time.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well. . . that's it. That's the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reading! Leave a comment/review to let me know what you thought. Later, demigods!

 **Also:** I'm kidding. There's one more chapter next week. You really thought I'd leave you hanging like that? XDD See you next Wednesday for the epilogue!


	11. Epilogue: Hades Wins (for once)

**A/N:** Hello, and welcome to the final chapter of this particular story, fellow demis! I hope you enjoy it!

 **Warnings:** Some language, cute boy fluff

* * *

It was late September now, although Percy wasn't really able to tell. The weather in California always kind of stayed the same, especially in New Rome. Much like Camp Half-Blood, there was a magical barrier surrounding the entire place- keeping it a nice, neutral west coast temperature. Which was far too warm for Percy's eastern blood. He was used to this time of the year being unforgivably cold and crisp (and usually really rainy). All this sunshine was really throwing him off.

More so because what he felt inside was far from sunny. After his time in the loop, he'd returned home long before Annabeth bothered to come back. She never even knew he had been gone. A big part of him wished he hadn't been- his memories of the loop gave him a persistent headache that he couldn't shake.

His girlfriend finally made it home a few days later. He tried to ignore the guilt he felt when he saw her again- even though he hadn't actually done anything disloyal. . . yet. Not physically anyway. But he couldn't help but feel like he had something significant to feel guilty about. Something in him that had changed while he was in the loop.

The two spent a couple weeks doing what they always did these days; just existing in the same space. To her credit, Annabeth did seem to be trying a bit harder than usual to make things seem normal. Percy was beginning to think that maybe that was the problem with them; "normal" was so difficult. Even when they were both trying their hardest, nothing ever seemed to come any easier.

All in all, nothing had changed between them. Just Percy's perspective. His time with Nico, in the loop, had been like being with a very close friend, organic and pleasant. He just didn't feel the need to try so hard or overthink every single word that came out of his mouth. Having a conversation with his girlfriend was like walking barefoot over hot coals- dangerous and likely to leave lasting scars if he misstepped even a little.

He thought about these things well after Annabeth went back to Olympus to finalize a particularly big project. She told him she could stay and let the foreman worry about it- but Percy could see the longing in her eyes- the longing she got when she was thinking about her work. The longing he never saw in her eyes for him. So, he told her she should go. He wasn't angry. Part of him wasn't even sad. He was just exhausted.

Although, she had been gone for over a week, Percy was no closer to figuring anything out. Until one night, when he was lying alone in bed, trying in vain to get some sleep. His mind was racing with thoughts that he had tried for months to repress.

Thoughts of the loop and of the son of Hades. He closed his eyes, almost hoping that when he woke up, he'd be back in the loop- with Nico. The moment the thought hit him, his bright green eyes darted open.

 _'Why would I think that?'_ he asked himself. _'Why wouldn't I think that?'_ he revised, after the initial shock wore off. He wasn't happy here. He hadn't been happy for a long time. The only time he could remember being really happy lately was in the loop. Maybe not at first- but that last week in the loop, as mundane as it was, had been the most fun the son of Poseidon had ever had.

The truth. . . was that he'd missed being in the loop for months now. . . he'd missed it since the moment he'd returned. Admitting that to himself was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. But lying in the silence, he couldn't deny it anymore.

He thought his love for Annabeth was enough. . . that it would keep him happy. The reality of love wasn't that simple though. Aphrodite's version of love is the tabloid version- the kind people see on those gossip magazines in the supermarket and think 'wow, now that's true love.'

It isn't. It's never as perfect as it's made out to be. Cupid may be a massive knob of a god, but his version of love was by far more realistic. It's not the kind of thing two people can just have and expect that it will be enough. It needs support and structure. . . if Percy's dumb ass could see that and a brilliant architect couldn't, then they were in a lot more trouble than he originally thought. On those support beams stands the foundation of what makes love last; friendship, common ground, trust, respect, compromise, togetherness, and so much more.

As Percy lie there, nothing but the sound of crickets filling the silence in the air, he had no choice but to finally accept that he had almost none of those things with Annabeth, at least not anymore. And he was only now starting to see that maybe he never really had most of them to begin with. Certainly not respect- Annabeth was constantly undermining him and looking down on him because he wasn't as smart as she was. She was never willing to compromise, everything had to be done her way. She was always right. The only thing the two of them had in common was the baseball team they cheered for. . . which didn't really seem like enough to base an entire relationship on.

And now. . . they were practically strangers to each other. When they were together, it was unpleasant and depressing. Percy could see now that relationships weren't meant to be like that. He kept waiting for things to change- but the only way they ever would is if Annabeth did. And he knew in his heart that she was set in her ways. Their future together. . . all those dreams he had for them. . . they were all doomed from the beginning. His love and his hope kept those dreams alive as long as they could. But now, he couldn't turn a blind eye to it anymore.

Without thinking much more about it, he bolted out of bed and threw on his warmest pair of pants and a nice thick jacket. After all, it was probably very cold on the east coast. It was a long ride to Long Island, and it was really late, but Percy just wasn't in the mood to resist anymore. He's a demigod. His life is inherently short. He wasn't about to let such an obvious opportunity pass him by.

* * *

Nico was sulking in the Hades cabin, as he'd been since their return. Jason tried like hell to get him to come out and participate in the camp activities but he just told him to go away. It was sweet the guy cared so much about him, but right now, Nico was too broken to feel any semblance of joy or gratitude. He'd probably thank him later, after the worst of his heartache passed.

What he had with Percy in the loop had been a farce. He knew that the moment they started it. What he hadn't been expecting was for their act to become so real to him. Nico couldn't remember the last time he felt so whole. . . in fact, he was sure he never had. The time he spent with Percy felt so good, so perfect, that he knew he'd probably never feel a connection like that again. The rift in his heart wasn't sure to heal anytime soon- actually, it likely never would.

It was a lonely night, one of the many Nico assumed he'd have for the rest of his life. That is, until there was a persistent knock on the door. Initially, he thought it might be Jason, back to torment and/or lecture him. Then, he remembered how late it was. A confused twitch took control of his brow. Surely none of the campers would be stupid enough to wander around at night and risk the wrath of the cleaning harpies.

The knocking continued, getting louder and louder each time. Nico stood to answer the door. As he did, he heard a voice on the other side, calling out his name softly.

"Nico, it's me; Percy," the voice said. Well, no one but Percy Jackson would be stupid enough to wander around Camp Half-Blood at night. . .

Nico's heart sank into his chest. But rather than dwell why Percy was there, he ran to the door and flung it open. Standing on the stoop was a very alert Percy, his eyes fixed on the sky. He pushed through the doorway, past Nico, breathing like he'd run a marathon.

"Percy?! What the actual Hades are you doing here?" Nico demanded, shutting the door, quietly.

Rather than answer, Percy took a risk. He approached the younger demigod slowly until he was mere inches from him. He took in the sight before him- letting the memories of the loop fill his mind. Nico looked almost exactly the same as he had a few months ago. Maybe a bit more tired and his hair had grown out a little, but otherwise, he was the same Nico that Percy was sure he had fallen in love with.

The son of Poseidon leaned forward, saying nothing, and joined their lips together, placing his hand on the shorter boy's waist. Nico gasped in shock at the contact. His instinct was to immediately pull away. And he would have, if he had any form of rational thought running through his head. . . but his mind had gone completely numb. He felt like one of Medusa's victims, frozen in place for all eternity.

It certainly felt like an eternity- in the best of ways- before Percy finally pulled away; his beautiful aqua eyes glistening in the dim light of cabin thirteen, full of adoration. Such a look was all too foreign to Nico- especially such a look directed at him. But his brain was still too foggy to think about any of that.

"Wh-what. . .?" Nico stammered, not able to finish his sentence. Luckily, he didn't need to. Percy shook his head, a little embarrassed by how forward he had been. He hadn't planned to just walk into the cabin and kiss Nico, like some awkward ass cliché romantic comedy. But he was pretty used to being impulsive. And when he saw Nico standing in front of him, his expressive, dark eyes questioning- he just couldn't resist. He'd repressed all the thoughts he kept having about his ghostly friend since the loop, but the desire had been building up for months. Now, here they were; alone. Together.

"I- uhm. . . I'm sorry, Nico. I didn't mean to spring that on you so quickly," the aquatic demigod admitted. Nico just stared at his crush, his chocolate eyes still searching for an answer.

"Right. What am I doing here. . ." Percy recalled, knowing he still owed his friend an explanation. He'd had a few days to think about what he wanted to say to Nico- the road from San Francisco to Long Island was a long one; full of endless waits in the cold and drunks. . . a whole lotta drunks.

"Nico, I know this seems crazy. . . Scratch that, I know this _is_ crazy, but. . . that stuff I told you about in the loop, about me and Annabeth. . . that was all true," the older boy confessed, taking his friend's hand. Nico met his eyes, unsure where this was going. "I. . . gods!" Percy stammered. This was turning out to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. Letting go of what he had with Annabeth was hard enough; but the look in Nico's sparkling brown eyes was not making it any easier.

"Listen Nico. . . I came here because I needed to see you. What happened in the loop. . ." he paused. In the event that Cupid was listening, Percy didn't want to mention the plan out loud. Subtlety was not his strong suit but he'd have to try. "What happened in the loop meant something. Maybe that place wasn't real, but something changed in there. Something really special. . ." he confessed, squeezing Nico's hand.

The son of Hades just stared up at him, not really believing what he was hearing. Was Percy saying that he had feelings for him? No way. That couldn't be it. But that sure is what it sounded like. The younger demigod's heart felt like it was about to explode from his chest. Percy was silent for a moment, just staring into his companion's panicked eyes.

"Nico. . . that thing you said in the loop; about how you'd never leave me alone. . . did you mean it?" Percy asked, stepping a little closer to his friend. Nico nodded his head slowly.

"Every word," he managed to mutter, his mouth suddenly very dry. Percy smiled, leaning his forehead against the shorter boy's.

"What about that other thing you said?" the son of Poseidon asked.

"I said a lot of things," Nico pointed out. He wasn't sure which thing Percy was talking about.

"You said that if you were still waiting when I changed my mind, you'd be there. Did you mean it?" Percy whispered, his warm breath tickling Nico's face.

The son of Hades lifted his head, his face even more ghostly white than usual. He was trying to make sense of what his cousin had just said- but it just wasn't computing. Percy's beautiful smile only confused the younger teen more.

"Wh-what are you implying?" Nico finally managed to stutter.

"I thought it was obvious," Percy began, his warm smile fading into a longing stare, "I've changed my mind." With that, the older boy pulled his friend flush to his lean form and kissed him once more, a feverish passion taking over him.

Nico was shocked back into reality by the pressure of Percy's salty lips against his. This was really happening. Even in his dreams, Percy didn't taste this good. Years of sexual repression screamed at Nico to stop this. It wasn't right. . . But he ignored it. He was only fifteen, after all.

His arms wrapped themselves around Percy's neck, as he leaned further into the kiss. Percy buried his fingers into Nico's soft raven locks. Before too long, they were forced to separate, their breathing shallow, their eyes wild.

"I'll take that as a "yes" then?" Percy asked, his eyes questioning but his lips grinning.

"I. . . yes! Of course I meant it!" Nico found himself screaming excitedly, just as he would have done as a kid. He didn't care if he seemed desperate. He _was_ desperate. He'd wanted this for so long. When he'd finally resigned himself to accepting that it was never going to happen- he was thrown into a loop with the object of his affection and forced to pretend they were in love. When he came back to the real world and Percy walked away, Nico had assumed things were back to normal and he'd have to learn to forget his love for Percy all over again. He was sure that he'd be left longing for the bull-headed son of Poseidon for the rest of his life. . .

The thing about living in a world of gods and monsters, is that if something seems to good to be true; it usually is. Nico didn't want to trust this. It could be a trick. Maybe cupid just gave up and shot Percy with one of his arrows. Maybe this wasn't even Percy at all, but a god disguised as Percy. Or, more realistically, maybe Percy was just lonely and having a moment of doubt. Maybe he and Annabeth would work things out and Nico would be left alone again, only this time completely and utterly broken inside.

All these scenarios played out in the ghostly demigod's mind. As terrible as they all were, he still couldn't be bothered to care. He felt far too good right now to worry about where this was heading.

Percy kissed Nico's cheek, a relieved sigh escaping his chest. He hadn't been sure his cousin would be okay with any of this. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Nico even more. But to see that playful glimmer in his eyes again, like when they first met, filled Percy with so much comfort. When he looked back at Nico, he saw tears welling in the younger demigod's eyes. He wiped the moisture away, gently, with his thumb.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern dripping from his voice. Nico stared at the saline on Percy's finger, surprised to see it there. He hadn't even noticed he was on the verge of tears.

"Sorry about that. . . nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect," Nico chuckled, bashfully.

"Happy tears?" Percy asked, wrapping his arms around Nico.

"Happy tears," the son of Hades affirmed, leaning his head up against his cousin's chest, and letting the steady rhythm of his heart beat lull him.

"Good" Percy sighed. He hadn't seen Nico cry, or even come close to crying, since he first met him. The guy had grown into a fearless freaking warrior over the last five years. Percy was sure there was nothing that scared him. He made it through Tartarus alone. Percy would be the first to admit, Nico di Angelo was one bad ass demigod.

To know that someone as hardened as Nico was that happy to be with him, was a pretty clear indication to Percy that he was exactly where he needed to be. It was going to hurt, closing the book with Annabeth after everything they'd been through. But he was more sure than ever that he was finally on the right track. Everything was clicking into place.

There was still a lot for them to figure out, but that could wait until the morning. Percy was beat, physically and emotionally. He tightened his grip around Nico's waist and shuffled them both over to a coffin shaped bunk bed; where he then toppled onto his side, pulling Nico down onto the bed with him.

Nico yelped, surprised at first, until he started laughing- although he wasn't entirely sure why he was. He chalked it up to being a little giddy about this entire situation. Percy chuckled along with him, so happy to hear him laugh again.

The taller demigod grabbed the blanket and draped it over them. He then wrapped his arm around Nico and placed a soft kiss on his head. Nico felt himself melting underneath his love's touch. He snuggled into Percy's chest, surprised by how amazing it felt being this close to someone.

"Goodnight, Angel," Percy muttered sleepily, not even really meaning to say it aloud. Nico felt his face grow hot. He wasn't used to such intimate pet names. But he liked it. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Goodnight, mia conchiglia," Nico whispered. He was pretty sure he was too excited to get much sleep, but he knew he needed it. He tried to tell his brain to shut up and just drift off. As he was finally about to, he was sure he heard a deep voice echo softly from somewhere in the cabin.

"You're welcome."

* * *

 **A/N:** Alright, guys, that's the end (for real this time)! Nico refers to Percy as "his seashell" at the end there, just to save you the trouble of translating (supposing you don't know Italian). Anyway, thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a comment/kudos if you did! If you didn't, I'd still love to hear your feedback!

 **Also:** While I am sorry the story is so short, I will not be writing more. I get asked this far too often, so I just want to clear the air. I have my reasons for making it the length it is; involving my own time restraints and creative choices I thought would make the story more impactful. In summary, just please don't ask me to write more. Thank you in advance! eue


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